OK, if truth be told, I only made this soup because I had frozen meatballs in the freezer that I had planned to use on our recent trailer trip. But because we decided the smart thing to do was turn tail and head directly for home 2 weeks early because of the coronavirus scare, some of the frozen pre-made items I had planned for dinners on the road didn’t get eaten. And then when we got home, and eager to get the trailer cleaned and perishables off-loaded, we just kind of threw the frozen items in our home freezer. Fast forward a few weeks, and I remembered the meatballs and decided they should be eaten, sooner rather than later. And not really being in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs, and kind of hungry for soup, I developed this recipe.

Now I realize that if you don’t happen to have meatballs in your freezer, this recipe might take more energy and work than you are willing to expend. But for those of you who do have the time and energy, build a pot of this soup in the near future. It is pretty darned delicious, if I do say so myself. (Really – goes without saying. If I didn’t think this soup was great, it wouldn’t be on this site!) And while you’re at it – make a double or triple batch of the meatballs. Then freeze what you don’t need.  Then next time you get a hankering for meatball “whatever”, you’re set and ready to go.

Now, if you don’t have a lot of time for food preparation, but like the idea of a vegetable soup using ground beef, give a gander at my recipe titled Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup. (Catchy name, right?!?!) Anyway, just as delicious, but less time consuming to prepare.

Actually, you could build this soup very easily by simply frying a pound of ground beef, or even a pound of Italian sausage, before frying the onion, carrots, celery, etc. The soup would still have a lot of flavor, but you might lose points on presentation. But then again, who gives a flying fig about presentation while being confined to quarters during this coronavirus crisis! You’re probably already going slightly deranged balancing working from home, keeping your family members from killing each other, trying to explain to your pets while you and your family are always underfoot, and trying to figure out who that crazy looking person is in your bathroom mirror! Like I said – presentation, although nice, can wait until you are once again your normal, terribly efficient kitchen Goddess or God.

In the meantime, stay sane, hold fast to your sense of humor, and keep cooking yummy food, even if it’s just for yourself. As always, peace, love, and an extra serving of patience to everyone.

Meatballs:

1 egg

1 T. milk

¾ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

2 tsp. finely chopped parsley

½ c. finely chopped onion

1/3 c. dried Italian or regular breadcrumbs

1/3 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb. lean ground beef

Combine the egg, milk, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, parsley, onion, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese together in a medium bowl. Add the ground beef and stir just until combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, form balls and place on a lightly greased rimmed baking pan.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the balls are baked through. Remove from oven and set aside.

Soup:

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. diced onion   

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

½ c. dry red wine (I use Gallo Hearty Burgundy)

4 c. beef broth, or more if the soup appears too thick      

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

½ tsp. dried basil

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (preferably Italian)  

4 T. tomato paste, again preferably Italian

1 c. dry macaroni

2 T. chopped parsley

grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (or Pecorino Romero or Asiago)

Heat oil in a medium sized covered pan. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine and cook until almost all the liquid is evaporated. Add the beef broth, salt, pepper, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, canned tomatoes (don’t drain), and tomato paste.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Stir periodically. After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning (may need more salt).

Add the meatballs and dry pasta, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente. Add parsley, and serve piping hot. Pass the grated Parmesan cheese.