Italian seasoned meatballs are the key to this tasty soup. Meatloaf mix is combined with garlic, seasoning, Italian breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. After the meatballs are formed they are browned in a stock pot. Then onions, carrots, garlic and spinach are cooked before canned tomatoes, chicken stock and seasonings are added in. Once everything is cooked, the meatballs are added back to pot with Italian pasta and cooked the pasta is tender. A great soup for a cold winter day!
Course
Soup
Cuisine
Italian
Prep Time10minutes
Cook Time50minutes
Total Time1hour
Servings8people
Ingredients
Meatballs
2eggs
2clovesgarlicminced
1tspsalt
⅛tspblack pepper
1 ½lbsmeat loaf mix
¾cupplain dry bread crumbs
½cupgrated Parmesan cheese
Soup
2tbspolive oil
1onionchopped
2carrotschopped
4clovesgarlicminced
2heads escarole or curly endivecoarsely chopped
8cupschicken broth
1can(14 oz) Italian plum tomatoescoarsely chopped, juice reserved
3fresh thyme sprigs
1tspsalt
½tspred pepper flakes
1cupuncooked acini di pepe pasta
Instructions
Whisk eggs, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp salt and black pepper in a large bowl until blended. Stir in meat loaf mix, bread crumbs and cheese; mix gently until well blended. Shape mixture by tablespoonfuls into 1 inch balls.
Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook meatballs in batches about 5 minutes or until browned. Remove to plate; set aside.
Add onion, carrots and 4 cloves garlic to saucepan; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add escarole; cook 2 minutes or until wilted. Stir in broth, tomatoes, thyme, 1 tsp salt and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 15 minutes.
Add meatballs and pasta to soup; return to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove thyme sprigs before serving.
Recipe Notes
I substitute spinach for the escarole. When making the meatballs, I used a 1 tsp measuring spoon and I made 90 meatballs.