If you want to hear lots of oohs and aahs around the dinner table, just make a batch of this stuff. Easy, flavorful with plenty to share!
Italian Meatball Soup
Ingredients
Meatballs
1 lb. ground turkey
½ lb. hot Italian sausage
1 packet of dry onion soup mix
1 ¼ c. Italian bread crumbs
¼ c. ketchup
1 egg, beaten
1 lg. stalk of celery, diced
½ sm. red onion, diced
½ med. red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 c. white wine (I used Riesling)
1/3 c. small elbo macaroni, uncooked (I used a whole wheat macaroni)
1 c. frozen peas and carrots
15 oz. can cannellini beans
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
6 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Olive oil as needed
Method
Combine 4 to 5 cups of water and 1 tsp. salt in a medium sauce pot. Heat to boiling over medium high heat. Add elbo macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain water and drizzle macaroni with a little olive oil. Toss to coat. Set aside.
In large bowl, combine all ingredients for the meatballs. Mix well (mixing by hand works best).
In large braising pan or soup pot on stove top over medium heat, drizzle about 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Use a medium-sized cookie dough scoop to portion out meatballs. Work in batches adding about 10 to 15 to the pan at once. Cook and use tongs to carefully turn them letting them brown a little on the outsides (they will finish cooking in the broth). Remove them to a plate and work the rest of the meat mixture until all the meatballs are partially cooked and removed from pan/pot.
Leave little bits of meat on the bottom of the pan and drizzle in a little more olive oil. Add diced vegetables. Stir and cook until onions start to become translucent.
Add chopped garlic. Stir and cook for only about 30 to 40 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and all the seasonings (Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper).
Carefully pour in wine. Stir and let mixture come to a slight boil. Reduce heat a little and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add meatballs, cooked macaroni, cannellini beans, peas and carrots, broth and parsley. Stir well and bring up the heat a little. Heat till boiling, then cover and reduce heat. Let simmer about 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.
