Creamy Italian Meatball Soup
I have had simple tomato soups with some meatballs and they were just blah to me. I needed more flavor on the base and more vegetables and I made it my mission to make a better soup. This one is a mix of tomato and roasted red pepper, it gives it an amazing depth and the peppers sweeten the acidity of the tomatoes. The meatballs are a mix of beef and pork and come together in minutes and broiled in the oven. Add vegetables and a touch of dairy free yogurt make this so perfect, filling and creamy. My kids loved this, I just “forgot” to mention the tomatoes…
This makes a big batch so you can have leftovers, serve it to a crowd, or have easy meals available in the freezer. Make it and let me know how your family enjoys it, it is perfect for these chilly nights we have been having lately!
Creamy Italian Meatball Soup
Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup almond flour or gluten free breadcrumbs
1 egg
5 cloves (2 1/2 teaspoons) minced garlic
2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon dried chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon ground all spice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Soup
28 oz can whole tomatoes
2 jars (16 oz) roasted bell peppers, drained
1 large onion, diced
2 Tablespoons oil
5 large carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cloves (2 teaspoons) minced garlic
3 zucchini (about 1 pound)
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) broth
1 cup cashew yogurt or coconut cream
- To prepare the meatballs, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Spray a baking sheet with oil and scoop small meatballs onto the sheet and then with oiled hands, go back and make each ball smooth. Broil for 7 minutes, flip over and broil an additional 5 minutes.
- In a blender, combine the whole tomatoes and jars of roasted bell peppers until smooth.
- In a large pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat, add the onions and carrots until they are tender. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two, stirring to make sure it doesn’t burn. Finally, include the zucchini and saute until slightly browned.
- Pour the blended tomato and pepper mixture into the pot along with the tomato sauce and broth. Season with salt and pepper and stir until all combined.
- Carefully drop in the meatballs and stir in the yogurt. Serve with a little extra yogurt and a sprinkle of parsley.
Meatballs are so good and easy to prepare! Throw it in a bowl and mix it up!
I love to use a small cookie scoop for my meatballs, that way they are all the same size and it is so much faster. Scoop, roll, broil, flip, broil, DONE!
Tomatoes and peppers get combined in the blender as a beautiful ruby base to the soup.
Onions and carrots —> garlic—> zucchini —> veggies softened —> pour in the sauce —> add tomato sauce and broth —> season and add yogurt —> meatballs —> let soup simmer
