Meatball Soup

I made this soup this past Saturday night and it was delicious and very filling.  I saw a recipe from the Cozy Cook for the soup but making your own meatballs and using diced tomatoes.  We simplified it buy using frozen meatballs and a can of crushed tomatoes.  So easy and delicious for a cold winter's night. 

Soup Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

1 yellow onion, diced

½ cup bell peppers, diced. (Red, green, or both)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups beef broth, can sub chicken broth

28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ cup heavy cream

2 cups spinach

1 cup dry pasta, I used Fusilli

2 12oz  bags of frozen meatballs

Seasonings

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 pinch red pepper flakes

Salt/Pepper, to taste

For Serving

8 oz. Ricotta Cheese

½ cup Parmesan Cheese

Red Pepper Flakes

For the Soup

Melt the butter in the same soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced onions and cook for 10 minutes, a little longer than normal as this will release some of their sugar which counteracts the acidity of the tomatoes. Stir every few minutes.

Add the peppers and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 minute.

Add in the chicken broth, beef broth, and tomatoes.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. You can also simmer it longer to contrate the flavor and thicken it more.

Stir the soup and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Add the meatballs and the pasta and return it to a gentle boil. Cook until pasta is cooked through, refer to package for cooking time. It may take a little longer since we’re boiling gently. Test-taste a noodle before serving.

Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream, then add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.

Transfer to serving bowls and top with ricotta cheese, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes. (You can warm the ricotta in the microwave first if preferred.)