Meatball and Tomato Soup

Last weekend I kicked off my fall soupfest. This tomato-meatball soup was a great way to start, as it was fresh, hearty and very satisfying for a cool Sunday evening meal. Crushed canned tomatoes with dried herbs, tiny homemade meatballs, onions, garlic, peppers, chicken stock and white beans combine in an experimental creation that I can't wait to make again for family and friends.

The first step is to make the meatballs. You can use whatever ground meat you desire for this soup, turkey, chicken, beef, pork or veal. I used turkey.

In a large bowl, combine and mix well:
2 lbs lean ground turkey
2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 Tbsp Italian herb mix (dried)
1/2 cup dried Italian breadcrumbs
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp each of salt and pepper

Using a teaspoon, scoop meat mixture and make small, golf ball sized meatballs.

In a large Dutch oven, heat a little olive oil over medium high heat, and brown the meatballs.

While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the following vegetables, which will be sauteed after the meatballs are browned.

1 large onion, diced small
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 green bell pepper, diced small
1 carrot, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
Once the meatballs are browned, reserve to the side and saute the vegetables. Add the onion, peppers and carrot, reserving the garlic until near the end so it does not burn. Season with a touch of salt and pepper. If you need to, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the dutch oven. Saute the vegetables until they are tender and the onion is translucent, but not browned. Add garlic, and the meatballs, and cook together for a couple of minutes.

Next, add a splash of white wine, two large cans of crushed tomatoes, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add 4 cups of chicken stock (canned/carton or homemade), 1 tablespoon of the dried Italian herbs, 1 teaspoon of dried savory (optional) and reduce heat to low. Throw in a bay leaf for good measure. Let simmer for 30 minutes or longer is you can wait. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper. If you want a little heat (in addition to the spicy meatball) add some more red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Add one drained can of northern white beans, drained and rinsed, and cook for another 10 minutes, until the beans are warmed through.

Served in warm bowls with some good bread and wine.

enjoy!