Meatball Minestrone

by Julie Hasson and Judith Fertig

Serves 6
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

On busy evenings, use make-ahead meatballs as the base for this quick and easy, flavor-rich soup.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in their juice

15-1/2-ounce can beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 cup orzo pasta
2 cups meatballs
Grated Parmesan

Instructions

In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat, then sauté the onion and garlic until softened, about 2 minutes.
Add the carrots, chicken broth, diced tomatoes in their juice, beans, Italian seasoning, and pasta. Bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat and add the meatballs. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are heated through and the pasta is tender. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

Nutritional Information
Per serving (1-1/3 cups): Calories 405 ● Total Fat 14 g (22% DV) ● Saturated Fat 5 g (24% DV) ● Cholesterol 95 mg (32% DV) ● Sodium 1489 mg (62% DV) ● Total Carbohydrate 42 g (14% DV) ● Fiber 6 g (24% DV) ● Sugars 6 g ● Protein 28 g (55% DV) ● Vitamin A (74% DV) ● Vitamin C (20% DV) ● Iron (20% DV)