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Meatball Sub Soup

Everything you love about a hearty and classic meatball sub, is broken down and served as a soup. It’s the perfect cure for the January blues.
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Keyword crouton, meatball, mini, sub, tomato, winter
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 754kcal

Ingredients

For the chunky tomato basil soup:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mini mozzarella meatballs:

  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 pound ground beef (80% lean/ 20% fat)
  • ½ cup diced yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 6 ounces low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼” cubes

For the Parmesan croutons:

  • 1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1½” cubes
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt, as needed
  • Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan

For serving:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Fresh basil for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the chunky tomato basil soup:

  • Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the onion to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional 30 seconds.
  • Stir in the tomato paste then add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot followed by the basil, and vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Mini mozzarella meatballs:

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). In a small mixing bowl stir together the breadcrumbs and milk and let set for 10 minutes.
  • Add the beef, onion, garlic, egg, parsley, salt and pepper to the mixing bowl. Add the soaked breadcrumbs to the mixture and use your hands to blend.
  • Scoop the mixture in rounded tablespoons and roll the mixture into balls. Push a piece of the mozzarella into the center of the mixture, closing the beef around it. Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

For the garlic croutons:

  • Preheat oven to 325ºF (170ºC).
  • Toss the cubes of bread in the olive oil until evenly coated. Spread in an even single layer on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Bake for 20 minutes then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Continue to bake until the croutons are crisp and the cheese has melted, about an additional 10 minutes.

For serving:

  • Add the cooked mozzarella meatballs to the soup and ladle into soup bowls. Top with the Parmesan croutons, a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil.

Nutrition

Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1411mg | Potassium: 580mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 900IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 247mg | Iron: 4mg