Give this Italian meatball soup a try, with full of vegetables, hearty meatballs, and pasta. The first step is to make your meatballs. These meatballs contain seasoned breadcrumbs, herbs and spices, parmesan cheese, garlic and an egg to bind everything together. Broil the meatballs to brown them, and this step ensures that the meatballs will hold their shape in the soup.
Normally, with freshly made meatballs, on the stovetop, they’d have to simmer for at least 20 minutes. But in this soup, I’ve made it incredibly easy by using frozen fully cooked meatballs. No messy meatball hands, and no guessing if the meatballs are cooked all the way through! The liquid base of this soup is extremely flavorful thanks to the combination of beef broth, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, and tomato paste. A tiny touch of crushed red pepper flakes
Ingredients;
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 oz frozen Italian meatballs
- 32 oz beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 5 oz dry red wine
- 2 (15 oz each) cans diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
- 3/4 cup dry ditalini pasta
- 3-5 oz fresh baby spinach
Instructions;
- To a 6 quart or larger slow cooker, add carrots, celery, onion, Italian seasoning, black pepper, bay leaf, meatballs, broth, water, wine, and canned tomatoes.
- Stir to combine, cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, until vegetables are tender and flavors are combined.
- Stir in ditalini pasta, cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes, until pasta is tender. Remove bay leaf and stir in spinach until wilted.
- Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
