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Light Italian Meatball Soup

Hopefully by now you have noticed that I am soup lover, if not just go to my recipe page & scroll down to Soup/Stews/Chilis, you should find something you’ll like.

I tend to prefer the cream based soups, but lately I have tried my hand at some healthier soups. This one was delicious! It made a LOT for my young family of four, but the leftovers were still good to eat!

Light Italian Meatball Soup

This soup is tomato & beef broth based, so that makes it healthier without any cream. The meat is lean & the vegetables give it the perfect balance between the pasta, meat & broth. The fresh basil & parsley really makes this soup taste wholesome & good for you. I loved this fresh, Light Italian Meatball Soup!

Light Italian Meatball Soup

Light Italian Meatball Soup

Ingredients

Soup:

  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 4 carrots, peeled & diced (or about 12-14 thick baby carrots thinly sliced)
  • 2 celery rib, washed & diced
  • 8 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 2 cups water (I left this out, but the noodles soaked up the majority of the liquid as it sat while we were eating which actually made a nice leftovers dish.)
  • 4 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 (14.5oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic (I used S&W Petite Cut Tomatoes Diced with Sweet Onions & Roasted Garlic in Rich Juice)
  • 1/2 lb Ditalini Pasta
  • 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
  • 2 Tbsp chopped basil

Meatballs:

  • 1 lb (97%) lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp fennel
  • 1 large egg

Instructions

  1. Make meatballs by combining all the ingredients into a large bowl. Mix with hands to combine. Use a 1 Tbsp scoop to portion the meat, & then roll the meatballs in your hands to make them nice & round.
  2. In a large 8 quart non-stick stock pot over medium high heat, sear the meatballs on two sides. Don't cook all the way through. Remove meatballs & save on a plate. (You can eliminate this step & just add the meatballs in step #5, but I think searing them adds good flavor.)
  3. Return stock pot to the stove & warm olive oil. Add carrots & celery. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add broth, water, tomato paste, & tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cover & bring to a boil.
  5. Drop seared meatballs into the broth. Cover the pot & allow to boil for 5 minutes. Stir meatballs gently.
  6. Add pasta & cook an additional 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Add basil & parsley; stir & serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
author: Amber | Dessert Now Dinner Later /
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Recipe lightly altered from Parade