Mini-Meatball Soup

By Addie

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: 30-Minute Chocolate Blast

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground beef, pork and veal combined
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
• 6 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dried pasta, rings, broken fettuccini or ditalini
• 1 pound triple washed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

Details

Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg.

Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve soup with crusty bread or grilled 4 cheese sandwiches.
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REVIEWS: (187)

This soup is very easy to make. I make it all the time and my whole family loves it!

This was amazing!! Simple and hearty. I cut back on pasta and only added 1C instead of 1 1/2C. I also replaced nutmeg with cinnamon. It was perfect!!! My boys loved this one...... This will be my new go to simple and delicious soup recipe. You will want to double up

Very tasty, but too much spinach. Maybe 8 oz. would be better than a pound. Good overall.

A little bit more work than I like to put into soup. But it was tasty.

I made my balls a little larger and it turned out fine. My family couldn't get enough of it!

Delicious and easy. Used half ground beef and half sausage for the meatballs. This is going in the dinner rotation from now on.

This was wonderful, rustic, and hearty! Even better the next day.

I usually read the reviews first to get tips from people that have made the dish. It really helps and i appreciate it. This soup was simply delicious! I had some nice crusty bread to go with the soup. I cooked the pasta separate and had each person serve it in their bowl of soup when ready to eat so it won't get soggy. I did the same with the spinach and kept it on the side and so you just add as much as you want in your bowl. Finally, i used one extra cup of broth and 1 less cup of water. My 10yr old loved the mini-meatballs and ate the spnach too....what a pleasant surprise! I will definitely make this dish many more times!!! Very hearty and yummy!!!

I was a little wary about making this soup but it ended up being the best soup I have ever had. I now make it every Sunday so I have some for lunch for the week. Def. try this soup!

Rachael Ray has done it again. I have made this soup time and time again and it never gets old. My whole family loves it from my picky husband to my uncle battling cancer. They think it is wonderful. The only thing that I do different is keep the pasta out so that the noodles don't get soggie and absorbe all that wonderful broth. I also make the meatballs a head of time, so that dinner is on the table in 30 minutes. Thanks again and keep 'em coming!!!

I made this soup for New Year's and it got rave reviews. I make it all the time at our house. I actually substitute ground chicken for the meat mixture, and use parsley instead of nutmeg. It becomes a modified Italian wedding, and tastes great! My husband LOVES this soup. And he's not a "soup guy" either. Add it to your recipe book!

This recipe is great. An easy version of Italian Wedding Soup. Even my picky son loves it. I have been making this for years and every Halloween my son and his friends ask for this before they go trick or treating. The only thing I don't use is the fresh spinach. I use defrosted spinach. Make this at least once a month during the fall and winter.

I've been holding this recipe in my recipe box since 2003 and finally tonight I decided to try it. It was awesome! So easy! So tasty! What was I waiting for! This is one recipe that will make it into my winter rotation.