Best Bonnies Italian Meatball Soup Recipes

ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP

Steps:

• To make the meatballs, add the ground beef, grated Parmesan, 3 tablespoons of the parsley, the lemon juice, ground oregano, garlic, egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper to a bowl and mix together well. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls.
• In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, turning to brown all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. No need to cook them all the way as they'll go back into the soup later. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Now, grab some beef stock and pour it into a pot. Add some salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste--it adds so much yummy richness. Make a bouquet garni by adding the peppercorns, bay leaves and remaining 1/4 cup parsley to a piece of cheesecloth and tying it into a bundle using kitchen twine; drop it right into the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove the bouquet garni, which now resembles a jellyfish with jaundice. Go ahead and discard it; it's lived a full life. Add the diced potatoes, carrots, celery and onions and the sliced cabbage. Finally, in go the browned meatballs. Let the soup simmer long enough for the vegetables to get slightly tender and the meatballs to cook all the way through, another 20 minutes or so.
• You can sprinkle the soup with some freshly grated Parmesan if you'd like one last dose of decadence. Serve with crusty bread.

BONNIE'S ITALIAN STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• For the meatballs:
• Pour the milk over bread and soak to soften.
• Place the meat in a mixing bowl and add the cheese, EVOO, fennel, crushed red pepper, garlic, egg, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and crumble into crumbs as you add it to the meat. Combine the meatball mix and roll into 2-inch balls. Place the meatballs on nonstick baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray and roast until browned but not fully cooked, 10 to 12 minutes.
• For the stew:
• Meanwhile, heat the EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions and bay, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and stir until fragrant. Add the beef stock and tomatoes, then break up the tomatoes with a potato masher. Add the basil, potatoes and meatballs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat back to medium, partially cover and cook 10 minutes. Add the green beans and cook 7 to 8 minutes more.
• Serve, or cool completely and store for make-ahead meal. Reheat over a medium-low flame, partially covered, stirring occasionally (or reheat in a 325 degree F oven) until sauce is bubbly.
• To serve, top shallow bowls of stew with cheese and an extra drizzle of EVOO.

HEARTY ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP

Steps:

• Stir water, tomatoes, beef broth, and Italian seasoning together in a large pot; bring to a boil. Add meatballs, Italian-blend vegetables, and pasta to the pot. Return broth to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the meatballs are heated through and the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.