Quick Italian-Style Beef & Vegetable Soup

By ccavaletti

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb 80% - 90%-lean ground sirloin
• 2 medium thin-skinned white or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 cubanelle pepper
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 c beef stock
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 herb bundle: a fresh bay leaf and a few sprigs parsley and thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
• 1 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, plus grated Parm for passing
• 1/3 lb (a couple of small handfuls) thin green beans (haricots verts), cut on an angle into 1-inch pieces

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

In a soup pot with a lid, heat the oil, two turns of the pan, over medium-high to high. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes.

Stir in the potatoes; season with salt and pepper.

Finely chop the celery, pepper, onion and garlic and add to the pot.

Add the stock, tomatoes, herb bundle and cheese rind; partially cover and bring to a boil over high.

Reduce the heat to medium and keep the soup at a low boil until the flavors from the cheese rind and hers are released, about 10 minutes.

Add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes more.

Discard the cheese rind and herb bundle. Serve the soup in shallow bowls.

Pass the grated cheese at the table.