Use frozen meatballs to make Italian soup in jiffy

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Sep 22, 2004 by Alicia Ross, with Beverly Mills

How do you transform a traditional three-hour soup recipe into a quick, midweek dinner possibility? Use frozen meatballs.

Frozen pre-cooked meatballs, readily available in the supermarket frozen food section, mean today's recipe for Quickie Italian Wedding Soup is only 25 minutes away.

Canned broth, another time-saving ingredient in this soup, has been a desperate pantry staple for years. But it's only recently that we have come to rely on frozen pre-cooked meatballs. Of course, you can whip up a platter of spaghetti and meatballs in a flash with them, and we often do. But meatballs are for more than just pasta. Check out www.desperationdinners.com for another terrific recipe with frozen prepared meatballs: Moroccan Meatballs over Couscous.

Look for bags of plain or Italian-style meatballs in the frozen meat section. You'll save money on larger bags of meatballs if you have access to a warehouse-style supermarket. Just reach in the bag and take out what you need, and throw the rest back in the freezer for later.

Traditional flavors don't have to take hours and hours. For this version of a traditional recipe we have frozen meatballs to thank for the time savings.

Menu: Quickie Italian Wedding Soup

Iceberg wedge and Italian dressing

Orange segments

QUICKIE ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Cook's note: Depending on what brands of beans are available in your area, you'll notice the can size may vary from 15 ounces to over a pound. Those few ounces of variation will not matter for this recipe.

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion (for about 3/4 cup chopped)

8 to 10 already-peeled baby carrots (for about 3/4 cup chopped)

2 stalks celery (for about 3/4 cup chopped)

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

2 cups water

2 cans (14-ounces each) fat-free chicken broth

1 package (1-pound) frozen Italian-style meatballs (about 30 meatballs)

1 can (15-ounces) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), see Cook's note

3 tablespoons already-shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1. Remove the spinach from its packaging, and place it on a microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered on high, for 5 minutes to thaw.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil on medium in a 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Peel and finely chop the onion, adding it to the pot as you chop. Dice the carrots, adding them to the pot as you chop. Dice the celery and add it to the pot. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook until the onion is tender, about 1 minute more.

3. Add the water and broth. Raise the heat to high, and bring the liquid to a boil. Drain the spinach well, squeezing out the excess water. Add it to the pot. Add the meatballs. Stir to mix well. Bring the soup back to a boil.

4. Drain and rinse the beans. Add them to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium, maintaining a slow boil, and cook until the meatballs are heated through, about 5 minutes more.

5. Meanwhile in a 2-cup or larger bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and egg. Stir vigorously with a fork or a small whisk until egg and cheese are thoroughly mixed.

6. When the meatballs are heated through, reduce the heat to low, and slowly drizzle the egg mixture over the soup, stirring constantly. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until egg mixture is thoroughly incorporated and soup begins to thicken slightly. Remove the pot from the heat. Spoon the soup into shallow soup bowls, and serve immediately.

Serves 6

Approximate values per serving: 292 calories (38 percent from fat), 12 g fat (4 g saturated), 100 mg cholesterol, 22 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber, 799 mg sodium.

Beverly Mills is a former food editor of the Miami Herald food section and a mother of two; Alicia Ross, a former food columnist for The Raleigh News and Observer, also has two children. Send desperate tales of woe or everyday success stories and your favorite quick recipes to Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit the Desperation Dinners Web site at www.desperationdinners.com. You can e-mail Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross at bev-alicia@desperationdinners.com. United Feature Syndicate Inc.