Meatball Minestrone
The only way I’ll eat minestrone going forward!
A minestrone is a winter staple recipe, that every family has their own variation of how they make it. My favourite part about a minestrone is that is packed with so many veges, and you can literally put whatever you like into it!
Meatballs are a must have in a minestrone from now on, they add a really delicious layer of flavour to the soup and make it even more heartier than it was to begin with!
I generally used pork and veal mince for my meatballs, but these were just as nice with beef.
This is a jam-packed soup, so you will need a good size pot. For this recipe, I used my Black Wattle cookware stew pot which is the perfect pot for winter cooking.
It is a must to serve a bowl covered in parmesan, and thank me later!
Prep Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 45 min
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
500g pork and veal mince (sub beef)
1/2 bunch parsley
About 20 basil leaves (optional)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 onion, grated
1/2 cup parmesan
1 TBS chicken stock powder
1 TSP dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Minestrone:
1 red onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 carrots, cut into half moons
4 celery sticks, sliced thin
1 zucchini, cut into half moons
1 potato, cut into small cubes
400ml cannellini beans, washed and drained
2 cans of Mutti tomatoes (I used 1 x crushed & 1 x san marzano)
1L chicken stock (or vegetable)
2 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS vegeta stock powder (optional)
1 TSP salt
Pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish
1-2 cups pasta of choice - I used shells!
Method:
Meatballs:
Add the milk to the breadcrumbs, stir and set aside
Grate your onion using a box grater, then using a clean chux or 3 paper towels drain out all the liquid from the onion
Chop your parsley and basil until fine
Put all ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and mix until combined. Roll into individual meatballs - they should be about 1 TBS in size.
Heat your pot over a medium-high heat and add a good amount of olive oil.
Add in the meatballs and fry until browned on all sides and about 95% cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside
Minestrone:
Once you have removed the meatballs, add more olive oil into the pot
Add the onion & garlic and cook about 5 minutes until translucent
Add in the remaining chopped vegetables and stir until combined
Add in the chicken stock and 2 x can of tomatoes
Add in the cannellini beans
Add in the stock powder, tomato paste, salt and pepper and stir
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and place the lid on. Cook for 30 minutes or until the potato is tender
Meanwhile, cook your pasta seperately as per packet instructions
When there is about 10 minutes left, add the meatballs into the pot to warm through.
Add the pasta to the soup once cooked.
Serve topped with lots of parmesan and enjoy!
