My fiance loves soup, but I hate it and in turn hate to make it. Does anyone have a soup that isn't made with chicken or beef stock, and is heartier, like with lots of thick vegetable and beans, and alot of meat as well, maybe ground beef? Something like that soup they serve at Olive Garden, if you know the one I am talking about? I really want to make something he loves, but I want to be able to enjoy it as well. Thanks in advance for your help.

Italian Sausage Soup like Olive Garden

1 lb(s) Sweet Italian sausage, ground
1 cup(s) White rice
1 cup(s) Chopped tomatoes in puree
1/2 lb(s) Chopped frozen spinach
6 cup(s) Beef broth
1/4 tsp Black pepper, ground
Peccorino Romano cheese, for garnish

Cook ground sausage meat in a soup pot and break the meat up with a fork as it cooks.

Add in rice, beef broth, tomatoes and black pepper and bring to a simmer.

Cook 12-15 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in the chopped spinach and let simmer for a few minutes.

Ladle soup into soup bowls and garnish with freshly grated Peccorino Romano cheese.



Olive Garden Minestrone

1 cup finely minced celery
1 cup finely minced onion
1 cup finely minced carrot
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/2 cup whole dried peas
1/2 cup white pea beans
3/4 cup sliced carrots
3/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
3/4 cup sliced celery
3/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup rice or barley
1 cup shell macaroni
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Slowly saute finely minced onion, celery and carrot in butter until very brown.

Add peas and beans and about 3 quarts of water.

Cook slowly until beans are almost done (check garbanzos ? they will take the longest) about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Add the remaining vegetables, rice and spices and more water if necessary and cook another hour.

About 20 minutes before serving time add the macaroni and more water if needed.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serve with crusty garlic bread.



Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

1 1/2 cups Sausage links, spicy; about 12 links
3/4 cup Diced onions
6 slices Bacon
1 1/4 teaspoons Minced garlic
2 tablespoons Chicken stock
1 quart Water
2 medium Potatoes, cut in half and then into 1/4 slices
2 cups Kale, cut in half and then sliced
1/3 cup Heavy whipping cream


Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done; cut into half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2 inch slices. Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken base, water and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add sausage, kale and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.



HAMBURGER SOUP

2 c. diced onions
1 lb. ground round
1 c. diced carrots
1 c. diced celery
1 c. diced red pepper
1 c. diced green pepper
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 to 1 c. uncooked rice
salt and pepper to taste
8 c. beef broth
4 c. water
4 c. tomato juice (if you want a clear liquid, use water instead of tomato juice)

Saute onion until clear. Saute hamburger until all pink is gone. Drain if desired. Bring liquid to boil and add all ingredients. Simmer 20 minutes. Add whatever other vegetables or ingredients you may have on hand if desired. Hamburger may also be formed into tiny balls if desired. Brown well.




Hamburger Soup

1 1/2 lbs hambuger
1 lg onion, diced
6 to 8 potatoes, diced
1 pkg carrots, diced
2 lg cans stewing tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
Beef stock Flavoring

Boil carrots and potatoes in 6 to 8 cups of water. Fry onions and hamburger and drain off fat. Once carrots and potatoes are fork done ( DO NOT DRAIN OFF WATER), add hamburger/onions, tomatoes with its own juice and chili powder (you can add more if you want). Mix well and add beef stock flavoring to taste.

And heat for 20 minutes.

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

1 whole chicken, cut in half
2 large celery stalks
1 onion, quartered
1 pound can chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
MEATBALLS:
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion
3 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
SEASONING MIXTURE:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 tablespoon of minced parsley
A quick grinding of nutmeg

Toss the clucker into a large pot along with the other ingredients. Pour in 6 quarts water. Bring to a boil, skim the scum that floats to the top, then simmer uncovered 90 minutes. Remove bird from the pot, strain and save the liquid.
When the chicken is cool, discard the skin and bones and tear the meat into bite-size pieces.
OK, moosh all the meatball ingredients together for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup warm water and continue to wrestle with the meat for another 1 to 2 minutes. Form into meatballs the size of olives.
Heat the soup stock and see if it needs 1 or 2 chicken bouillon cubes.
When the soup is boiling add the meatballs, a few at a time.
Beat seasoning mixture with a fork. Slowly dribble it into the boiling soup, stirring constantly. Add the chicken meat. Let everything simmer for 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked.



Kielbasa Cabbage Soup


1 Sm Cabbage, Coarsely Chopped
1 Med Onion, Chopped
6 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 Tsp Olive Oil
4 Cups Water
3 Tsp Cider Vinegar
2 Tsp Brown Sugar
1 Lb Kielbasa, Fully Cooked, Cut Into ½ Inch Pieces
Then Halved
4 Med Potatoes, Peeled & Cubed
3 Lg Carrots Diced
Salt & Black Pepper To Taste


In A Dutch Oven Or Soup Kettle, Sauté Cabbage, Onion & Garlic In Oil, About 5 Minutes Or Until Tender.

Add Remaining Ingredients. Bring To A Boil. Reduce Heat & Simmer About 60 Minutes Or Until Vegetables Are Tender.



OLD-FASHIONED BEAN SOUP

1 pound dry white pea beans
3 quarts water
1 Smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone
1 tablespoon onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1 Dash pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Wash beans. Soak beans in water overnight. Do not drain. Add ham hocks or bone, onion, celery salt. Cook beans until very soft - 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Remove hocks or bone. Take off meat. Chop. Set aside. Bruise beans with a large spoon, enough to cloud. Add meat, mustard, salt and pepper. Reheat, garnish with parsley.



Shortcut Minestrone Soup

2 quarts water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
1 (10 ounce) package Turkey Sausage
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup bow tie pasta, uncooked
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)



1 Squeeze sausage out of the casings and cook until done.

2 PLACE all ingredients except Parmesan cheese into stock
pot or large Dutch oven.

3 BRING to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring
occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 15 minutes or until
carrots are tender, stirring occasionally.

4 SERVE sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, if desired.



GROUND BEEF STEW

1 lb. ground beef
1 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. celery
1 c. diced potatoes
1 can green peas
1 c. Minute Rice
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 1/2 c. water

Brown ground beef; combine all ingredients and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Oh wow thank-you so much! These are wonderful. I really like that you were able to find the one from Olive Garden. Now he can have his soup and I can eat it too.

I know you requested soup recipes that do not use chicken or beef broth but most restaurants use it as you can see. If it is the fact that you want a healthier soup - you can always make homemade stock and either can or freeze it for use in recipes - homemade is always best. I freeze and can homemade stock in pint and quart sizes.