Tomato Soup with Tortellini and Meatballs

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This is like spaghetti and meatballs, in soup form. It’s so comforting and delicious. The meatballs here are made using pesto, which gives them a fresh, bright flavor. If for some reason you don’t like pesto you can make them as you would normally would, adding an egg to the mixture.

Tips:

• Since the pasta cooks in the soup, this dish is best eaten the day you make it. By the next day, the pasta will be mushy and there won’t be any broth left.

• If you want to make this in advance, just follow the recipe through step 6. Cold or even frozen meatballs hold together better when cooking in the soup.

• This recipe can easily be made with gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Tomato Soup with Tortellini and Meatballs

Makes 4 servings

PREP 20 minutes

COOK 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

6 oz. ground chicken (not just white meat)

3 tablespoons pesto

3 tablespoons plain bread crumbs

salt and pepper

1 onion, minced (about 1 cup)

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 small celery rib, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes

4 oz. ditalini or other small pasta like alphabets or tortellini

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix the chicken, pesto, bread crumbs, 1/8 tsp salt and pepper together in a bowl and combine the mixture with your hands until it is uniform.

2. Scoop heaping teaspoons of the meat into balls. Roll to form little meatballs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. In a soup pot, add the oil over. medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Add a dash of salt and cook until the veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

5. Stir in the broth and tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the carrot is softened, about another 10 minutes.

6. You can use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot or working in two batches, purée the soup in a blender until smooth. Return to the pot. Adjust the seasoning of the tomato soup with salt and pepper.

7. Turn the heat back to medium-high and add in the meatballs. Cook for a few minutes, stirring the soup so the meatballs don’t stick to the bottom, about 5 minutes. Add the pasta of your choice and cook the soup until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs are cooked through.

8. Serve with some parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!