Hamburger Minestrone Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek, carrot and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium leek
1 medium carrot
2 celery stalk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Add the ground beef to the pot. Break it up with a spoon and cook until it’s browned and no longer pink. If there’s any excess grease, drain it off.
1 pound ground beef
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
2 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
Add the zucchini, green beans, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, dry macaroni and beef broth. Stir everything together and bring the soup to a gentle boil.
1 medium zucchini
1 cup green beans
2 cans (14 oz / 400g) crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry macaroni
6 cups beef broth
Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.
Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves and stir in the Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
8-10 fresh basil leaves
Serve the soup warm, with some extra freshly grated Parmesan on top if you like.