italian meatball soup...

I'm not gonna say much about this soup, except this...
You need it in your life!

Trust me!

It's hearty, flavorful, comforting, and it will warm your soul! No joke.

So, lets make it!

First, you need to mince up 4 tablespoons of fresh Italian Parsley.
Regular parsley will work just fine too.
Measure out 1 teaspoon of Peppercorn's.
And grab a couple of Bay Leaves... 2 to 3 depending on their size.


Cut a square of cheesecloth.

Place the parsley, peppercorn
and bay leaves on the cheesecloth.


And tie it up in a cute little bundle.


Next, get some heat going under your pot.

Pour in 7 cups beef stock.
And 2 cups (1 can) beef broth.


Add 2 cups water... I realize this photo only measures 1 1/2 cup,
but I added more after I snapped it.

What can I say, I was distracted by a certain toddler.



Add 1/2 tsp. salt.

Please don't pay attention to my un-manicured hands... to bad
I can't measure with my toes because I just got a pedicure
and my tootsies are looking pretty good, if I do say so myself.


2 Tablespoon tomato paste...


And your cute little herb/spice bundle.

Give it a good stir and bring it to a boil.

After it's boiling, turn your heat down a bit and let it simmer
for about 30 minutes.

This is going to make your house smell wonderful.

Now, go ahead and pour yourself a nice glass of red...
because you deserve it by golly!

Then grab your cutting board and knife...
We're gonna do some choppin' baby!

Chop up half of an onion (I used yellow)... you can certainly
use more if your family loves onions. But remember, I'm
married to a guy who's not a big fan... "it's a texture thing".

Chop up about 4 cloves of garlic...
use more if you love, love, love the stuff!

Chop up about 3/4 cup carrots and 3/4 cup celery.

And about 1 cup potato...
I told ya we were gonna do some choppin'!

Whew! Now have a sip of your red stuff and inhale the goodness...
because right about now your mouth should be watering.

Now, put all the chopped veggies and garlic in your
simmering pot, and give it a good stir.

Bring it back to a boil and let it simmer for about another 30 minutes.
Just until the veggies are fork tender.

While the veggies are simmering go ahead and chop
up about 1 to 1 1/2 cups cabbage.

OK friends, here's where *I* cheated. The original recipe called
for homemade Italian meatballs... but who has time for THAT?
Well I, most days, don't... especially with all the choppin' this
soup calls for. So, I just picked up a bag of pre-made meatballs
and called it day!

OK... so now, we're gonna remove the little herb bundle
and toss it out. It did its job, and now it's old and tired.
The goodness it left behind, our taste buds will rejoice!

After the veggies are tender, throw in your chopped cabbage
and about half the bag of Italian pre-made meatballs...
more if you want more!

Now let everything meet and greet, simmer, and
get all happy for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Go ahead and light a candle, and have a few more sips of your red stuff.
It's the right thing to do on a cold winter night.


Ahhhhhhhh... smells heavenly.

Sprinkle some grated Parmesan and minced parsley over the top.

Serve with crusty Italian bread.

YUM!

Italian Meatball Soup

7 c. beef stock
2 c. beef broth
2 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T tomato paste
3/4 c. onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 c. celery, chopped
3/4 c. carrots, chopped
1 c. potato, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 c. cabbage, chopped
About 20 to 30 meatballs
Parmesan Cheese, grated... to serve

Tied in a cheesecloth:
4 T fresh minced Italian parsley
2 to 3 bay leaves
1 tsp. peppercorn

Bring beef stock, beef broth, water, salt, tomato paste, and herb
bundle to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and potato's and simmer for
another 30 to 40 minutes... or until the veggies are fork tender.

Remove the herb/spice bundle. Discard.

Add in the cabbage and meatballs and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve with grated Parmesan and minced parsley over top.


Enjoy!
xo