WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH MEATBALLS

White Bean Soup with Meatballs image

It tastes like it's from scratch, but my Italian-inspired soup uses lots of shortcuts. For a meatball in every bite, chop them up-with an egg slicer! -Carole Lotito, Hillsdale, New Jersey

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Lunch

Time 30m

Yield 6 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
12 ounces frozen fully cooked Italian meatballs (about 3 cups), thawed
1 cup julienned carrots
1 carton (32 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
8 cups coarsely chopped escarole (1 bunch) or fresh spinach
Thinly sliced fresh basil, optional

Steps:

In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium heat; saute onion until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and pepper; cook and stir 1 minute., Stir in meatballs, carrots and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in beans and escarole; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until escarole has wilted, about 10 minutes. If desired, top servings with basil. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 301 calories, Fat 15g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 27mg cholesterol, Sodium 1050mg sodium, Carbohydrate 26g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 8g fiber), Protein 19g protein.