Italian Wedding Soup

If you've never had Italian Wedding Soup before you're missing out.  Tender meatballs, vegetables, and mini pasta in a rich and flavorful broth, this Italian Wedding Soup is a meal unto itself!  This soup is so comforting during the colder months, super filling, can be made ahead and is freezer friendly.  Customize it to be dairy free, truly one of my faves.

Ingredients:

14 oz bag of frozen small chicken meatballs 

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

8 cups of chicken broth

2 cup of vegetable broth

1 cup acini di pepe pasta

4 cups fresh spinach, chopped

sea salt

black ground pepper

1/3 cup parmesan cheese (dairy free option if you want this to be dairy free)

Optional skip the cheese and just a parmesan rind to flavor the soup

Directions:

1. Cook meatballs per package instructions.  In a large pot, over medium heat add olive oils, crushed red pepper flakes, onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender.  Add in garlic and cook for another minute.

2. Add in broth, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  After it's boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.  Add in pasta and cook about 6 minutes, until slightly tender.

3. Stir in cooked meatballs and spinach.  Cook until the spinach has slightly wilted.  Stir in sea salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.  Serve warm, Enjoy!

NOTES: 

• Baking or searing the small meatballs is a game changer, it gives them great flavor.

• Put a parmesan rind in the Italian Wedding soup, to give it that cheesy flavor.  Remove the rind before serving.

• After completely cooling, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. 

Minestrone Soup

The classic Minestrone Soup recipe is perfect for those chilly winter days and nights.  It's loaded with whole ingredient.  Fresh vegetables and beans in a delicious tomato broth.  While it seems like there are a ton of ingredients in this soup, the majority of them are veggies making it the ultimate fiber-packed soup.  Cooks in one pot and can be eaten all week long!

Ingredients:

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 onion, diced

2 cups celery stalks, diced

2 cups carrots, diced

1 large red pepper, diced

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

28 oz can of diced peeled Italian tomatoes (fire-roasted works good, too)

1 cup pasta sauce

15 oz can garbanzo beans, drain liquid

15 oz can white beans, drain liquid

15 oz can light red beans, drain liquid

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 box of  small soup pasta (I use ditalini)

32 oz of chicken or vegetable broth (add more for a thinner soup)

1 parmesan rind

1/2 cup romano cheese (optional)

sea salt

pepper

crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Saute the diced garlic in heated olive oil in a large pot.  Add vegetables one type at a time, stir and saute for about 4-5 minutes after each.

2. Add tomatoes, sauce, beans, broth, parmesan rind and herbs.  Simmer for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add pasta, continue simmering uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender.

4. Remove the pot from the heat. Remove parmesan rind. Taste and season with sea salt, pepper and additional herbs, if needed. Pour soup into bowls and serve with grated cheese on top.

NOTES:

Noodle Swap ..  ditalini noodles are classic in minestrone soup, but elbow, small shells or orecchiette are all great options. You could also mix in cooked grains like rice or quinoa if you’d like.

Leftovers ..  allow the soup to cool slightly before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. I don’t recommend freezing this soup as the vegetables, bean and pasta texture will change.   Pasta will soak up more liquid as it sits, so when serving leftovers you might need to add more broth or water to the soup. 

Lasagna Soup

Easy meal for days when you’re craving lasagna but don’t feel like doing all the work.  It's literally lasagna in a bowl but healthier because of the added veggies which you can't even taste!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp Italian seasoning

sea salt

black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 pound of ground beef (or ground chicken or turkey, if you prefer)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 28oz can of diced tomatoes

1 cup marinara sauce

6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth, if you prefer)

10 lasagna noodles, broken

freshly grated parmesan cheese (for serving)

fresh basil, thinly sliced (for serving)

Directions:

1. Cut your vegetables into uniform pieces. For even cooking, make sure your onion, carrot, and celery are all the same size. Set aside.  Add olive oil to a large dutch oven and set over medium heat.  Once the olive oil is shimmering, add onions, carrots and celery.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent.

2. Add garlic, italian seasoning, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the garlic is very fragrant.

3. Add ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink.  Add tomato paste, stirring to incorporate it into the mixture and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

4. Add the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.

5. Return the soup to a boil and add the lasagna noodles.  Cook at a gentle boil for about 9-10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.

6. Serve soup, garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

NOTES:

Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. To reheat, transfer the soup to a saucepan and heat it over medium-low, stirring occasionally until warmed. Don’t let it come to a boil; otherwise, your noodles will become too soft.