Meatball Soup
When the cold winter winds blow, this is a really fast soup to put together! I like to make twice the amount of meatballs and freeze half of them to make the next time even faster!
When the cold winter winds blow, this is a really fast soup to put together! I like to make twice the amount of meatballs and freeze half of them to make the next time even faster!
- Carbohydrate 22.3172099332356 g
- Cholesterol 53.0454686001966 mg
- Fat 14.6428816165169 g
- Fiber 2.09455064952272 g
- Protein 21.2867599674449 g
- Saturated Fat 5.24895692757625 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (287g)
- Sodium 1272.73176754102 mg
- Sugar 20.2226592837128 g
- Trans Fat 1.89199268877359 g
- Calories 310 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix first 5 ingredients together and form bite sized meatballs.
- Brown in olive oil or place under broiler until brown, turning once.
- In a large stock pot combine the next 4 ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Add meatballs, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
Tomato sauce carries the structural load of this soup. Canned tomato sauce provides a smooth, concentrated acid base that anchors the broth. Fresh tomatoes would introduce excess water and variable pectin levels, requiring prolonged reduction. Using a canned base guarantees consistent viscosity every time.
Frozen vegetables behave differently than fresh produce in a simmering pot. Chopped broccoli added straight from the freezer drops the pot temperature rapidly. Thaw and drain the broccoli briefly to prevent diluting the stock. Simmering the assembled pot for twenty minutes allows the meatball proteins to firm up without toughening the ground beef. Watch for the meatballs to float and feel firm to gentle pressure.
Overworking the meat mixture remains the most frequent error in meatball preparation. Dense, rubbery spheres result from excessive compression during rolling. Combine the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, and seasonings gently with fingertips. Stop mixing the moment the ingredients cohere.
Raw meatballs can be frozen on a parchment-lined sheet pan for two hours before transferring them to a zip-top freezer bag. Stored at zero degrees Fahrenheit, they keep safely for up to three months. Drop frozen meatballs directly into the boiling soup base, extending the final simmer by five minutes to ensure thorough heating through the center.
