We had this soup for dinner the other night. It was 104 degrees outside. But I really missed eating soup! So we did. In fact, we cooked the meatballs in the grill. I didn’t like the meatball recipe I used. I usually use this recipe and I love it! So use that one for this soup.
I also used tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes because what I thought was diced tomatoes was in fact strained tomatoes. Oops. I avoid tomatoes in cans because the cans have BPA in them. Tomatoes are also acidic so they really leach the BPA off the can lining. Instead, I buy Bionaturae in jars or Pomi in boxes (and I can get the Pomi at Walmart!). I have to admit that aside from avoiding BPA both of these brands taste a lot better than canned tomatoes. The “strained” tomatoes worked just fine, though.
This soup is hearty and filling and delicious. It’s even better the next day for lunch.
Meatball Minestrone Soup
A quick and easy minestrone soup with meatballs.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced thinly
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 3/4 cup (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 3/4 cup (15 1/2 ounces) cooked beans
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- 1 cup orzo (or another small) pasta
- 2 cups prepared meatballs
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil.
- Saute onion and garlic and carrot until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, seasonings, and orzo to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and add in meatballs.
- Simmer soup for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.