This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger. The opinions and text are all mine.This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger. The opinions and text are all mine. #ad #freezerfreshideas
Easy Italian Meatball Soup
A delicious and easy Italian meatball soup, savory veggies, delicious meatballs, and almost no work at all!
Easy Meatball Soup is a classic flavor combo in a delicious soup form.
Tomato based soup loaded with veggies, noodles, and savory meatballs.
You will love how simple, and amazing this soup is.
I am an Italian lover through and through. Try these Italian soups for the Italian lover in you: Instant Pot Lasagna Soup (Slow Cooker), Creamy Meatball Soup or Italian Beef Stew (Slow Cooker).
Make Life Eazy Peazy
Have you ever had so many things going on and you are already overwhelmed, then you add just one more thing on your plate, knowing you won’t be able to get it all done?!!
Anyone, anyone?! Bueller, Bueller?? haha
Well, that has happened to me, one too many times.
The point of this story is that this year I am giving myself permission to enjoy some easy recipes with some great short cuts.
And to take advantage of the freezer section at my local Smith’s grocery store.
When it comes to meal planning using some pre-made ingredients will only benefit me as well as my family.
Using things like already chopped and ready veggies, or pre-made meatballs, or maybe even a frozen pizza now and again makes my life easier.
Plus that means a home cooked meal and more time to spend with my family. Win-Win!
What you need to make easy meatball soup
I get giddy just thinking about all the time I am going to save, and all the delicious food I am going to eat.
I was browsing the site www.freezerfreshideas.com and my mind was spinning with the possibilities for simple meal planning and delicious foods my family will love.
It had recipe ideas, coupons, and articles. And I couldn’t wait to start cooking.
So treat yourself to a simple Easy Meatball Soup recipe with a great short cut.
In addition to this shortcut I wanted to show you how delicious this Easy Meatball Soup looks in the picture below and point out how cozy and warm it makes you feel.
I don’t know why but when I make this soup in my Staub Dutch Oven it just makes me all warm inside.
After all, we eat with our eyes first!
- Olive oil: seasons the pan and adds flavor.
- Yellow onion: I love the flavor an onion gives us. Zesty yet, sweet!
- Minced garlic: add the garlic, baby!
- Beef stock: a rich blend base.
- Tomato puree: thickens and adds a tomato base flavoring.
- Tomato paste: has a meaty taste and helps build onto the body of the soup.
- Canned petite diced tomatoes: seasoned vegetables that add thickness and texture in the soup.
- Garlic powder: a sweeter and less assertive garlic taste.
- Onion powder: tastes exactly like a real onion with a crunchy texture in the soup.
- Italian seasoning: blend of ground herbs that bring out the Italian flavors in this soup.
- Balsamic vinegar: has a sweet-tart taste that thick and rich in flavor.
- Carrot: sweet and crunchy texture that adds to this soup nicely.
- Celery: has an earthy taste that is a little bland but keeps the soup thick and adds extra texture.
- Bag Farm Rich Italian Style Meatballs: I highly recommend these meatballs! Find them at your local grocery store in the freezer isle.
- Spaghetti Noodles: thin noodles that capture all the ingredients together and makes a true Italian soup!
How to make easy meatball soup:
Instantly I thought of this amazing Easy Meatball Soup!
It is a Classic Italian Meatball Soup, but instead of spending tons of effort making meatballs, I bought the already made Farm Rich Italian Meatballs.
They are delicious, and the perfect addition to this hearty, and fantastic soup.
And it is ready in less than 30 minutes! It doesn’t get better than that!
Take a minute to browse the freezer section in your local Kroger. It might surprise you what is there.
There are so many fun, healthy, and delicious options, ingredients, and meals.
And I am certainly planning to take advantage of them.
- Prepare your stockpot pan: In a heavy stock pot, over medium high heat, add olive oil onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Simmer beef broth: Add beef broth, and bring to simmer.
- Add in seasonings and tomatoes: Add tomato puree, tomato paste, and petite diced tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and balsamic vinegar. Then, bring to a simmer.
- Add in vegetables and meatballs: Once simmering, add in chopped carrots, celery, and Farm Rich Italian Meatballs.
- Cutting up vegetables: Make your life easier by using a vegetable chopper to get uniform sized veggies while saving a ton of time.
- Cover and let simmer: Let simmer 5 minutes, covered with lid. Stir occasionally while simmering.
- Add in spaghetti noodles: After the 5 minutes is up, add spaghetti noodles in, break them in half. Use a spoon to press them into the pot so they are completely submerged.
- Cook all together: Cook for approximately 12 minutes, until spaghetti is al dente. Remove from stove.
- Serve: Garnish with that delicious parmesan cheese and basil if desired.
Other meatball soup ideas:
These meatballs come frozen in a couple different flavors and types of meats.
They can change this soup slightly and make a few newer soups from just one base.
Make this recipe fun and Eazy Peazy for you while you are saving time to be with your family!
- Original Beef and Pork Meatballs go well with 6 ounces if sliced mushrooms. Add them when you are ready to add the pasta.
- Turkey: this goes well with a cup of baby spinach adding to the end of the soup for a lighter soup. You can also substitute the beef broth for chicken broth.
- Vegetables: add in another cup of frozen mixed vegetables during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cook time to have more of a vegetable flavor.
How to make homemade meatballs
If you just have to make your own meatballs to feel better about this recipe, I get it.
I have been there, done that!
Here is a simple form of how to make homemade meatballs from my site The Ultimate Guide to Meatballs.
It gives you all the tips and tricks to keeping a meatball from crumbling, baking them and even how to serve them.
- Combine: your different types of meat in a large bowl.
- Seasonings: Add seasonings, cheese, and eggs.
- Add Breadcrumbs: Gently add bread crumbs into this mixture.
- Add Milk: Slowly add milk a 1/2 cup at a time to get the consistency you want.
- Form your meatballs: Shape into the size you want. Average meatballs are golf ball sized. For large meatballs I suggest 1 3/4 inch diameter, medium 1 1/4 inch diameter, and small of 3/4 inch diameter.
Storing easy Italian meatball soup
Make your life even more Eazy Peazy by making ahead or even freezing for another meal later on.
This meal is so good frozen or eaten the next day.
The spaghetti noodles do not freeze well with this soup. It is best to cook the soup and freeze or store it before adding the noodles.
Then when reheating the soup you will add the noodles at that time.
Making ahead: Enjoy this soup ahead of time by preparing it all together and leaving out the spaghetti noodles. Once it is cooked and cooled down, place the soup in airtight containers in the refrigerator. These will last up to 5 days stored properly.
Freezing: When planning to freeze your soup, cook and cool completely leaving out your spaghetti noodles. The pasta does not freeze well and when reheating it becomes mushy. Freeze the soup in an airtight container or frozen ziplock baggies.
Refrigerating: This easy meatball soup will stay in the refrigerator in an airtight container or a ziplock bag for up to 5 days. It is best to use a glass container for storing so that the tomato bases don’t stain the plastic containers.
Warming up: When ready to eat, warm up your soup on stove top and add in spaghetti noodles as it gets hot. Then simmer once spaghetti is cooked through and tender. Be aware the soup will thicken up when refrigerated. To help get the right consistency add a splash of beef broth to your soup.
More soup recipes you may enjoy:
- One Pot Beefy Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Classic Ministrone Soup
- Taco Soup
- Apple Butternut Squash Soup
- Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
Easy Meatball Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 Tbs minced garlic
- 3 cups beef stock
- 29 ounces tomato puree
- 2 ounces tomato paste
- 28 ounces canned petite diced tomatos
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup carrot chopped fine
- 1 cup celery chopped fine
- 1 bag Farm Rich Italian Style Meatballs 56 count
- 8 ounce package spaghetti noodles broken in half
Garnish
- Parmesan reggiano for garnish
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- In a heavy stock pot, over medium high heat, add olive oil onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add beef broth, and bring to simmer.
- Add tomato puree, tomato paste, and petite diced tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and balsamic vinegar.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, add in chopped carrots, celery, and Farm Rich Italian Meatballs.
- Make your life easier by using a vegetable chopper to get uniform sized veggies while saving a ton of time.
- Let simmer 5 minutes, covered with lid.
- Stir occasionally while simmering.
- After the 5 minutes is up, add spaghetti noodles in, break them in half.
- Use a spoon to press them into the pot so they are completely submerged.
- Cook for approximately 12 minutes, until spaghetti is al dente.
- Remove from stove. And serve!
- Garnish with that delicious parmesan cheese and basil if desired.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger. The opinions and text are all mine.
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