MEATBALL MINESTRONE SOUP IN THE CROCKPOT

A CROCKPOT RECIPE THAT TASTES GREAT!

PINE TREE POST | Food Page

Chef Jen is putting together a portfolio of quick meals (like her Baked Ziti) to keep the citizens of the Place Under the Pine well fed with healthy and delicious food.

The latest addition is a hearty, great tasting, soup made quick and easy in the crock pot.

Serve it with an organic grainy homemade bread...or, a white loaf from Metro

If you are thinking great tasting and crock pot should not be used in the same sentence, you are not alone. In theory the crock pot sounds like a busy cooks dream; you throw a bunch of stuff together in the morning, leave it and forget about it for six to eight hours, and by dinnertime you have a fully cooked meal. However, finding a recipe that makes great tasting food come out of 'The Crock' is harder than it sounds. Which, unfortunately, has given these meals the reputation of tasting like 'crock pot' (or at least that is the term my Father in Law uses).

The Meatball Minestrone Soup breaks away from the rest of The Crock recipe pack and actually tastes outstanding. It was given reviews of, "Mmmm", "Mmm", and "10 out of 10" by local food critics and they all asked for seconds! On the night this meal was served there was a visiting neighborhood kid who claimed this was the 2nd best meal she'd ever had (Steak being her number one meal). Now, if that doesn't make you want to get the crock pot out and start cookin' I don't know what will?

Mmm, Mmm, seconds please.

CROCKPOT MINESTRONE SOUP WITH MEATBALLS

THROW the following things into the Crock for 6 hours on low temp.

• 1 can diced tomotoes (Italian seasoned)
• 1 can plain tomato sauce
• 1 can kidney beans (drained)
• 1 large zucchini diced
• 1 large carrot diced
• 1 cup chopped kale (ideally fresh from the back garden)
• garlic powder

ADD 1 can of tomato soup 30 mins before serving

KEY STEP:

Separately cook meatballs and ditalini pasta.


SERVE like so:
In a Bowl
Add Pasta
Then add Soup
Then put Meatballs on top
Last, sprinkle some Grated Parmesan cheese

Here are some suggested products to use...we are not getting paid to say this (it's a good idea though).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little pasta will turn to mush if left in the crock pot all day

The 'lean' meatballs have all the flavour, but, less...bad stuff.