Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lean ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is browned and no longer pink. This should take about 6-8 minutes. Once cooked, remove the skillet from heat.

Transfer the browned ground beef from Step 1 to a slow cooker. Add the diced carrots, celery, and onion, along with the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, Italian herb blend, and bay leaves. Stir everything together to combine well.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. This slow cooking process will allow the flavors to meld together beautifully. I recommend giving the mixture a quick stir about halfway through to make sure everything is cooking evenly.

About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the rinsed and drained cannellini beans, red kidney beans, and uncooked ditalini pasta. Continue cooking until the pasta is tender. I like to check the pasta at the 20-minute mark for perfect texture.

Once the pasta is cooked and the soup is heated through, discard the bay leaves. Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste before serving. Serve the soup hot, and enjoy! For more depth of flavor, sometimes I like to add a handful of chopped fresh parsley at the end.