Hearty Meatball Soup Chock Full of Veggies. Fast Enough for a Weeknight
One cold dreary day, I wanted to make a quicky hearty soup. I had a package of meatballs in the freezer and a bag of kale in the fridge I needed to use. Hmmm. That gave me an idea. In 30 minutes, I had a huge pot of comforting soup gently simmering. You can too.
If you have more time and want to make homemade meatballs, go ahead. There’s something wonderfully satisfying about making them.
I combine hot Italian sausage, sweet Italian sausage and ground meat. Sometimes I use ground lamb for extra flavor or ground venison if I have it. I’ve also used the sausages and turkey. I’ll even throw in a smattering of chia seeds to help it bind and add extra healthy fiber. I’ve even used a few ginger snaps in with the bread crumbs for a wonderful twist.That's the great thing about meatballs. You can create them so many ways!
Cinnamon, chili powder and pesto make this soup special!
Sometimes I’m in a hurry. Trader Joe’s has a package of the smaller party-size meatballs that are already cooked that are perfect for this soup. Costco’s and Sam’s sell meatballs too.
My homemade pesto has less oil than many of the store-bought varieties. I make my own pesto during the summer basil is going strong. I put about ½ cup in each snack bag, flatten them out and freeze. Then I put them all in a gallon bag in the freezer.
For veggies in this soup, I used kale, carrots, celery, onions and bellpepper. Instead of kale, you can substitute fresh shredded cabbage or a bag of slaw mix. Some people might want to add a little pasta to the soup as well.
Italian Meatball Soup
Recipe Ingredients
1 large Vidalia onion
1 bellpepper chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
3 stalks celery chopped in big pieces
2 T butter
3-4 carrots peeled and chopped
1-2 zucchini chopped
3 c shredded kale
4 c beef broth or 1 32-oz carton beef broth
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can Rotel tomatoes or roasted tomatoes with green chiles
2 packages meatballs (1 lb 4 oz each package)
½ c pesto
½ t turmeric
¼ t cinnamon
½ t chili powder
1 t salt
½ t pepper
Pinch sugar
Preparation Instructions
1. Melt butter in a large soup pot.
2. Sauté onion in butter to soften for a few minutes on medium heat.
3. Add celery and bell pepper to pot and continue to saute for a few minutes.
4. Add chopped carrots and minced garlic and saute 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Add cooked frozen meatballs and zucchini.
6. Pour in broth, Rotel tomatoes and tomato sauce
7. Add seasonings.
8. Let it simmer on low for about 20 minutes to warm through and soften carrots.
9. About 10-15 minutes before serving add shredded kale. So it’s bright green but tender.
10. Ladle into bowls. Top with plenty of ground parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.
Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Serves 8-10
Commentaires