Italian Meatball Soup
A hearty and delicious Italian meatball soup. Serve with ciabatta for a comforting midweek meal.
Servings 4
Calories 608kcal
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and grated; divided
- 4 celery sticks cut into small chunks
- 2 carrots cut into 1cm cubes
- 1.2 L/2 pints boiling water boil in a kettle for speed!
- 2 Knorr Vegetable Stock Pots
- 2 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
- 500 g/1lb beef mince ground beef
- 1 bunch oregano finely chopped
- 40 g/1½oz parmesan cheese grated; divided
- ¼ tsp red chili flakes
- Salt & black pepper
- 200 g/7oz large conchiglioni
To Serve
- Ciabatta
Instructions
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat.
- Add the garlic, celery and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes. If they start to brown, turn the head down a little.
- Add the boiling water, vegetable stock pot, and canned tomatoes. Stir.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- In a large bowl, mix together the beef mince, two-thirds of the oregano, three-quarters of the parmesan, the chili flakes, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Roll the meat mixture into small meatballs about 2.5cm/1".
- Add the large conchiglioni pasta shells to the soup. Cook for about 12 minutes until al dente.
- While the soup is cooking, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat.
- Add the meatballs (polpetti). Cook for 5-7 minutes until completely browned on the outside. Be careful not to break them.
- Once browned, add the polpetti to the soup for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. The meatballs are cooked when they are no longer pink in the middle.
- If using, slice ciabatta in half and warm in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Serve the soup in bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and oregano. Enjoy with the warm bread on the side.
Nutrition
Calories: 608kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg