MEATBALL SOUP

MEATBALL SOUP

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup Italian or natural breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Meatball soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cleaned green beans and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 1 1 /2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 14.5-ounce can can of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 3/4 cup mini farfalle ditalini pasta, pepe acini or orzo
• chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Gently mix ground beef, chopped yellow onion, chopped garlic and breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire- Place sauce, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon spoon, roll the meatballs up to equal proportions and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the pan and fry.Work in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan. Add more oil if necessary. Place the meatballs on a plate and cover to keep them warm.
In a large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions, carrots, celery and green beans.Cook for 7-8 minutes or until slightly softened and fragrant. Add parsley, oregano, basil, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add beef broth, tomato sauce and roasted tomatoes. Increase heat to medium-high.Bring the mixture to a boil and then let it simmer. Let everything simmer for about 7-10 minutes. Add noodles and browned meatballs and simmer until noodles are tender, 10 minutes more. Serve immediately to avoid overcooking the pasta.

Notes

You can use fresh or frozen turkey, beef, pork, or chicken meatballs.They all taste good in soup.
I prefer fresh vegetables, but frozen ones can also be used if necessary.
Substitute chicken broth if using ground turkey.
Fire Roasted Canned Tomatoes are tomatoes that are charred over an open heat before being diced and canned. You can find them along with other canned tomatoes at your local supermarket.If you are freezing some of this soup or saving it for later, remove the part you are saving for later before adding the noodles. Reserve a proportional amount of pasta and add it when reheating the soup.
Any small pasta works like Mini Farfalle, Ditalini, Acini de Pepe or Orzo.
For added flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to each bowl of soup.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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