I’ve been really into making soups on Sundays lately because, I don’t know, it just kind of feels right. What can I say – a big pot of something warm & bubbly simmering on the stove all afternoon, leaving enough leftovers for lunches all week really does it for me. ;)
This week I modified my recipe for Spicy Tomato & Turkey Soup with Ditalini, and made Spaghetti & Meatball Soup.
I almost couldn’t handle the preciousness of this bowl of soup. I mean, mini meatballs floating amongst tiny spaghetti noodles? Too. Freaking. Cute!
Start the Spaghetti & Meatball Soup by shredding carrots, zucchini and onion, and sauteing them in a big soup pot. You don’t have to add veggies to this soup, but I thought they’d be good to bulk it up, and it’s a really easy way to get them into your diet.
Oh, I forgot to mention I shredded the veggies up in THIS! The new 14 Cup Cuisinart Food Processor Ben got me for Christmas. It’s my pride and joy!
After the veggies are soft, add chicken broth and marinara sauce to the pot, and bring it to a boil.
I used local Gino’s Marinara Sauce. It’s amore.
Sprinkle in Italian seasoning, red chili pepper flakes, and the star of the dish, mini meatballs.
My local grocery stores carry locally made Graziano’s mini meatballs, which are fantastic.
Finally, add cut spaghetti, or any small pasta, and simmer until cooked.
Squee!
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Spaghetti and Meatball Soup
Description
Spaghetti and Meatball Soup is a quick and easy soup is made in no time flat. Too fun (and delicious!) to resist.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large carrots or 10 mini carrots, shredded
- 1 small zucchini, shredded
- 1/2 onion, shredded or finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt & pepper
- 42oz low-sodium chicken broth
- 24oz marinara sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 1lb mini meatballs
- 1 cup dry gluten-free or regular cut spaghetti or other small pasta
Directions
- Heat oil in a large soup pot, add vegetables, season with salt & pepper, and saute until soft. Add in chicken broth, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning and red chili pepper flakes and bring to a boil. When boiling, add in meatballs and spaghetti. Simmer until pasta is cooked. Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
This was fantastic! Gino’s is a little spicy, so the soup had a nice kick, and the mini meatballs and petite spaghetti noodles just made it fun. I kind of felt like a giant, or something?
Since the carrots and zucchini were shredded, and were the same size as the noodles, I felt like I was getting to eat triple the amount of pasta too. It was awesome. Definitely make this!!!
The Help was phenomenal! I loved it so much. Hangover 2 though? It grosssedd me ouuuut BIG time.
My boyfriend gave me a food processor for Christmas too! It’s my first one and I’ve been using it ever since :)
We love watching movies in front of the fire….so fun!
We also do Soup Supper Sundays ’round here. I’m adding this in for later this month, using Trader Joe’s turkey meatballs. They are not mini, though, so I won’t feel like a giant. :-(
Oh, and I guess my favorite kitchen gadget is the Pampered Chef food chopper. Since I had my babies I’ve been super sensitive to onions and can’t chop them by hand anymore. So it’s the perfect solution!
I have one of those choppers too! I like how easy it is to use and clean!
What Hy-Vee did you get the meatballs at? I want to make your Wedding Soup this week!
I’ve gotten them at 74th, Mills and 35th street before!
Ohhh, that blanket nest and movie night looks fantastic :-) My boyfriend is just getting back from a trip to Colorado today, so we may have to do the same thing if we can find some movies we agree on.
Your soup recipe looks delish! I’m adding it to my list of things to try.
Hi, I just reading your blog on Friday and have already made 3 recipes from it! Thanks for all the ideas.
My must-have kitchen tool is a simple one – it’s those little plastic scrapers you get with Pampered Chef stoneware. Love all my stoneware, I don’t even use metal or glass pans anymore.
But those little scrapers are so handy on all dishes for cleaning up dishes but also scraping away flour from counters if I have a dough recipe that I had to knead.
My Vita Mix blender!! My husband and I make smoothies almost every morning.
that soup, I want that soup!!!! I hope I can find those mini meatballs in my local grocery store!
That looks GREAT!! My 13 year old chef and training says we have to try this one. :) I love the campout on the floor movie night too – fun!! :)
Soup Sunday. This is definitely a trend I can get behind!
and those MEATBALLS. those are the cuuuuuuuuuuutest. i’ve never seen such tiny meatballs!
I got a vitamix for Christmas which is supposed to chop veges pretty well. I wouldn’t know. I’m too scared to use it for the first time hahaha. It’s just so clean right now! I can’t work up the courage to throw an onion in to get chopped!
The soup reminds me of a not disgusting version of spaghetti o’s! I couldn’t live without my food processor either. I have a tiny cuisinart. Someday I will have a bigger one with awesome attachments!
hahaha, totally ;)
This is a great idea! I love spaghetti and meatballs. Making a soup out of it sounds delicious, and it looks so cute. :)
Haaaa! I had Monterrey last night too! ;)
I have a confession, I don’t own a food processor! I KNOW I need one. My parents have one they never use, so I keep meaning to “borrow” it when I’m at at their house, but I always forget.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday night!
Vitamix. I probably use it 6 days a week!
Oh, this soup looks great! YUM!
My must have appliance is my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. I’m not quite sure how I ever lived without it!
I need to get a food processor…I don’t have one and I think it is one of the appliances that I need to place on my must have list!
I love my Vitamix and my indoor grill equally :) I probably use the Vitamix more but the grill is soo handy!
I am so telling my hubby that Ben liked The Help, I have been begging for us to see it and he won’t watch it! haha
I cut up 1 -2 apples everyday because I like slices better than chomping right into the apple. Have you ever found an apple slicer that works? I’ve bought several, but never found a great one. Thanks, Kim
Have you tried a pampered chef one? Ours works great! some apples are so tough skinned, it doesn’t always cut through, but it breaks off good…. but that’s cause apples seem to be thicker and thicker skinned i think.
Hi Kim-
Kristen has a NO-FAIL way to cut up apples that I use all the time. I have been struggling with apples for years but since discovering this method- it has been a WIN-WIN every time!
Love my immersion blender, especially this time of year when I make lots of soups.
I seriously need to make this soup!!!
We have a tiny mc-tiny kitchen, so I had to choose between a food processor and my kitchen aid mixer…. I chose the kitchenaid, but as soon as my house gets an upgrade, I WILL be getting me a cuisanart!!!!!!!
In other news, do you think you can get those meatballs at all the local hy-vees?? There is no way I can top those in the homemade dept
Eesh, I’m not sure – I would hope so though! I would ask the guys at the meat counter – they would know for sure! :)