Meatball Noodle Soup

By lynleywoman

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic,minced
• 1 tsp each dried thyme,salt & pepper
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 each onion and sweet red pepper chopped
• 2 carrots,halved lengthwise and sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups beef stock
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced broccoli florets
• 1 cup egg noodles

Preparation

Step 1

In bowl combine beef,garlic,thyme and 1/2 tsp eacj of the salt and pepper, roll by scant tbsp into balls.
In large saucepan,heat oil over medium-high heat;brown meatballs,in batches and turning often,about 5 minutes. Remove to plate. Drain fat from pan.
Add onion,red pepper,carrots and remaining salt & pepper to pan, fry over medium heat,stirring occasionally,until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste,cook for 2 minutes. Add stock and bring to boil,stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan.Return meatballs to pan;reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Add broccoli and noodles, simmer until noodles are tender and digital rapid-read thermometer inserted into several meatballs reads 160F about 5 min.