Friday, February 22, 2008

Meatball soup

Originally from the Relish! menu planning website, I modified the recipe to reduce the salt. I picked the recipe originally because it seemed straightforward and probably could be modified to work with the crock-pot. My first test of the recipe was a resounding success.

Version: 2.0
Serves: 6 (1 1/2 cups each)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Equipment

  • Measuring cups & spoons.
  • Cutting board & knife.
  • Dutch Oven.
  • Ladle.
  • Stirring spoon.

Modification/Notes
The original recipe used canned beef broth and onion soup mix. Both taste good, but I wanted something lower in salt. So, I switched to chicken broth and real onion. I also reduced the amount of butter down to a tablespoon (from 2). I had 2 cups of rice (cooked in chicken broth) in my fridge - so I added it to the soup to positive effect.

Ingredients

  • 38-ounces frozen meatballs
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 carrot(s), thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 26-ounces (6 cups) chicken broth, fat removed, low-sodium
  • 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Instructions

  1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 1/2 the butter.
  2. Sauté the onion until the onion begins to become translucent.
  3. Add the carrots and celery, and continue to sauté for 4-5 minutes or until softened.
  4. Add all the other ingredients except the meatballs and the cheese.
  5. Bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  7. Add meatballs; cover and simmer meatball soup 10 minutes longer.
  8. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
  9. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

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