Meatball Minestrone
A perfect rustic soup. Meatballs, slices of carrots and celery, tomatoes, pasta – all in a flavorful beef broth. Comfort in a bowl.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 10-12 ounce package package frozen chopped spinach thawed, or fresh spinach or chard chopped fine and steamed for 10 minutes.
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion coarsely chopped
- 7 cups beef broth or stock
- 1 1-lb can tomatoes
- 1 1-lb can kidney beans
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1 cup rotelle or other pasta twists like gemelli
- Shaved parmesan cheese.
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- With your hands, press out as much water from the thawed or steamed spinach/chard.
- Mix together the spinach, beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper.
- Shape into 1-inch balls.
- Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. When oil is hot, add a portion of the mead balls and brown on all sides. Remove them from pan with a slotted spoon, leaving drippings. Repeat until all meatballs are browned.
The Soup
- Add onion to the pan that the meatballs were cooked in and cook them, stirring occasionally until limp (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in beef broth, tomatoes and their liquid, breaking up the tomatoes if needed, beans and their liquid, oregano and basil.
- Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add carrots and celery. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in pasta. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
- Place meatballs in the soup and heat through.
- Pass the Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Depending on the depth of flavor of your beef broth or stock, you might want to add a few beef bouillon cubes or spoonfuls of my favorite - Better than Beef. Adjust it to your taste - and enjoy!
