Meatball Minestrone

SERVES: 10

PREP: 10 Min

COOK TIME: 30 Min

We remember when we were growing up how we'd always ask Grandma to make her special minestrone soup. We've added a bit of a twist to this traditional soup recipe by adding some hearty meatballs into the mix with this easy recipe for Meatball Minestrone. The combination of ground beef and vegetables is truly a can't-miss opportunity.

What You'll Need

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, undrained and divided
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (1.4-ounce) package vegetable soup mix
60 to 64 frozen cooked meatballs (see note)
1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 ounces uncooked rotini pasta
1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach, torn

What to Do

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and saut 1 minute. Stir in 2 cans of beans and the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
Stir in vegetable soup mix until dissolved. Add meatballs, tomatoes, and red pepper; return to a boil.
Add rotini, and cook 15 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in remaining can of beans and spinach; cook 5 more minutes. Garnish, if desired, with shredded Parmesan cheese or chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Pick up 2 packages of frozen cooked meatballs from your grocer's freezer for this recipe. The packages come with 30 to 32 meatballs per pound.

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meg3046

Feb 09, 2012

This soup was tasty! I kept losing broth through the cooking times. I just added more tomatoes and more chicken broth. It was a little too spicy with the 1/2 tsp. of red pepper....next time I will only add 1/4 tsp. Overall, I will certainly make it again!!