User Friendly Meatball Soup

Submitted by CraftScout

"With a full pantry, a freezer bag of meatballs, and a handful of pasta, you can make a really filling soup. Of course this soup can also be made with fresh or frozen veggies, canned was just what I had one night when I needed dinner in a hurry. ETA after a few reviews mentioned this: We like our soups very thick, more like stews than soups. If you like more liquid in your soup, you're going to want to add one to three cans of water according to the reviewers, because the pasta will soak almost all of the liquid while it cooks."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 lb meatballs, I use User Friendly Meatballs
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes, cut up, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can mixed vegetables, undrained
• 15 ounces water
• salt and pepper
• 3 cups rotini pasta
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced

directions

1. Using a big soup pot on medium high heat, warm up the meatballs. If there is some fat still frozen to them, you will not need to add any oil, but if you froze them without fat or are using storebought, you will need to add some olive oil to get this started.
2. Once the meatballs are good and warmed, add in the garlic and saute just until you start smelling it, about a minute. Don’t burn the garlic! *grins*.
3. Next add the cans, the stock, and the water, and bring to a boil.
4. Drop the heat and keep your soup at a simmer for at least 5 minutes. At this point your soup can simmer for hours (and if you aren’t using canned veggies, you will want to simmer it a while).
5. About 10 minutes before you want to serve, add the pasta and season to taste. When you are ready to serve, turn off the heat and stir in the fresh herbs.

Reviews

[Belinda in Austin]

I really enjoyed this soup! I had acquired 3 bags of meatballs in my freezer, and was looking for something quick, easy, and different to do with them. This recipe was all of those. Since the previous rater had suggested needing more liquid, I added more than 1 can of water (2 cans), and I still needed about 1 more can, after the pasta cooked. Delicious! Thanks!

 

[JESMom]

Wow! This is wonderful soup (and meatballs :) too! Even my hubby, who usually says everything is "alright" told me, without my asking, that this was wonderful! The kids liked it too, veggies and all. And it couldn't be easier to make. I did, however, add an extra can of broth after cooking my pasta as it soaked up all of the 'soupy' part. I should have added an extra two, or maybe I cook the pasta before hand? Either way, it was wonderful! Thanks!

 

[Maryland Jim]

Outstanding Soup!! I used frozen meatballs and my family really like this soup. Will be making this again for sure! Excellent choice as one of my PAC recipes.