Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli soup is a healthy lightened up and hearty stick-to-your-ribs dish perfect for a chilly day. Best of all, this copycat recipe Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli soup is healthier with gluten free options.
Make Ahead Tips for this Pasta e Fagioli Soup:
- Cut the carrots, celery and zucchini the night before and store into zip-top bags in the fridge
- Brown the meat the night before and store in an air-tight container in the fridge
- If using dried beans instead of canned, cook and drain ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge
- Leave out the pasta if freezing this and only add the pasta if you plan on enjoying this on the same day
This recipe is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had a chance to meld together. It’s healthy comfort food at it’s best.
The leftovers make a perfectly filling lunch for the week and always hits the spot on a chilly winter day.
Yields 10-12 servings
Slow Cooker Pasta E Faglioli is a lightened up and hearty stick-to-your-ribs soup. A healthy copycat recipe for Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli. With options to make this gluten free.
20 minPrep Time
6 hr, 30 Cook Time
6 hr, 50 Total Time
Save Recipe4.9 based on 8 review(s)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil (avocado or grapeseed oil work as well)
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 pound extra-lean ground turkey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper chili flakes (optional)
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
3 cups homemade tomato sauce or 1 (28 ounce) can no-salt organic crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 can (28 ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained (preferably fire roasted or Italian style)
1/2 cup homemade beef stock or good quality no-salt beef broth
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup cooked kidney beans or 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked Great Northern beans or 1 can (15 ounce can) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium zucchinis, chopped
3/4 cup dry Ditali pasta or other small pasta (use gluten-free pasta if necessary or leave out entirely if desired)
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (to taste)
water, as needed to thin out soup to desired consistency
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, add the turkey, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook and crumble until meat is brown and no longer pink. Drain any fat and transfer contents to a large 6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the celery, carrots, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds and bay leaf. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours. Remove cover and stir in beans, zucchini and pasta and cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes or until pasta is tender. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and discard bay leaf. Stir in balsamic vinegar if desired. If soup is too thick for your liking, add more water as needed
- Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
More slow cooker winter favorites:
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
