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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Italian Meatball Soup







Anyone who knows my husband knows that he loves anything with a "red" sauce on it.  I mean anything....He's the only person I know that orders spaghetti and meatballs in a seafood restaurant.  I know... gross, right???
This Italian Meatball Soup literally takes about 15 minutes to make if you have precooked your mini-meatballs or you buy the frozen kind. The frozen meatballs at the Market are actually pretty good, but of course homemade meatballs are always a better choice. Serve it with a big loaf of crusty Italian bread or biscuits,  a side of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and watch all your troubles melt away....

 Prep Time:  5 minutes
 Cook Time: 10 Minutes
 Servings:  8


Ingredients

  • 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil ( enough to cover bottom of pan )
  • ½ cup Onions, Diced
  • 1 clove Garlic, Minced
  • ½ cup Celery, Diced
  • 1 pound of pre-cooked mini meatballs ( store bought or your own)
  • 14 ounces, Canned Diced Tomatoes
  • 14 ounces,  Tomato Sauce
  • 6 cups Beef Broth
  • 1 cup Corn, Frozen
  • 1 teaspoons Salt
  • 1 1/2  tsp Dried Italian Seasoning
  • 1 cup Uncooked Pasta, Small Shells
  • Parmesan or Romano Cheese, to sprinkle on soup (optional) 
  • FOR THE MEATBALLS:
  • 3/4 Ground Beef
  • 1/4 Ground Pork
  • 1 large Eggs, Lightly Beaten
  • 1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/4 Cup Italian-Style Bread Crumbs  or Fresh Breadcrumbs
  • 3/4 Tsp. Dried Italian Seasoning
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil- For Drizzling Over Meatballs


For Meatballs:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork , egg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, dry Italian Seasoning, and salt.  Mix thoroughly until combined. Roll each meatball into bite size mini balls. Place rolled meatballs on a large cookie sheet or pizza pan (with sides).  Drizzle the meatballs with olive oil and roll them around to make sure they're evenly coated.  Cook meatballs in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until browned.  Remove from oven and drain on a paper towel.

For Soup:

 In a large pot or dutch oven, add olive oil, onion and celery, saute for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for about another minute.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, mini meatballs, corn and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Add pasta. Cook until pasta is done (about 10 minutes).
Serve with a sprinkle of cheese if desired.


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