Pasta Fajoli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)

My favorite soup for when you want to eat it all day long. It never fails to get compliments and people always go for seconds. I don't know who originally created it, but the recipe has been an internet favorite for years.

For this batch, I roasted two beef oxtails that had a bit of meat on them on the outdoor grill. Cooked that in and scraped out the marrow into the soup after long simmer, and used fresh basil and oregano. That said, this recipe is one I don't deviate from very much.

 I serve this with croutons and fresh Parm.
Click to read the recipe properly due to a Blogger bug:

• 40 oz Clamato juice (substitute tomato juice if you must)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 26 oz. can pureed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
• 1 14 oz. can consomme
• 4 stalks celery (chopped)
• 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons beef soup base
• half a medium cabbage, shredded
• 1 19 oz. can kidney beans
• 1 19 oz. can navy beans
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups corkscrew pasta cooked and drained (or use cubed tofu for gluten-free)
• Beef broth for thinning as needed 

Bring Clamato juice, tomatoes, consomme, and all seasonings to a boil.
Simmer for 1/2 hour.
Saute ground beef until browned thoroughly, drain, and set aside.
Saute onion, celery, carrots and cabbage in olive oil until soft.
Add sauteed veggies to soup and simmer for another 1/2 hour.
Add beans, pasta, and meat.
Continue to simmer for an additional 20 minutes.