1 hour
Serves 5
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 cup diced onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped parsnips (If you can't find parsnips, use more carrots.)
3 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
7 cups chicken broth
1 cup ditalini pasta (If you can't find ditalini, use orzo.)
1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
Meatballs (Recipe Below)
Meatballs:
1 pound of ground beef
1 pound of mild ground Italian sausage
2 Tbsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. basil
2 Tbsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
In a large mixing bowl, blend ground beef and Italian sausage. Add oregano, basil, garlic salt and pepper. Mix well. Form ground meat into 1 inch round balls. Heat oil in a large
frying pan over medium high heat and fry meatballs for 15 minutes. Be sure to turn meatballs frequently to keep from sticking. When brown on all sides, remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
Make Dinner:
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, diced onions, carrots, parsnips, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Sauté for 15-20 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add chicken broth. Increase heat to medium high and bring soup to a boil. Add pasta to soup. Simmer another 10 minutes, stirring often, until pasta is cooked through. Add meatballs and spinach to soup and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer soup another 5 minutes until spinach is soft. Serve soup in large soup bowls with a side of crusty Italian bread.