Parmesan Meatball Soup

By Misa Misono

It is finally fall in Durham and the perfect time to heat up a chilly night with a warm, filling bowl of soup. Grocery stores are loaded with great ingredients that make preparing a healthful dinner easy and delicious. Frozen meatballs, shredded carrots, and bagged spinach make this recipe a breeze. Parmesan and smashed garlic add depth of flavor without being overwhelming. This soup is a simple, filling, and delectable way to end a long day at school. You don’t have to be an Iron Chef to make this great meal. All it takes is shopping smart at the grocery store and spending a few minutes in front of the stove. You can even check your email while the soup simmers.

Get in your kitchen and start cooking – you’ll be glad you did!

Shopping notes:
Look for low sodium chicken broth and meatballs without a lot of unpronounceable filler ingredients. Shredded carrots in small plastic bags and bagged baby spinach can be found in the fresh produce section.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 meatballs
2 cans (15 oz) low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup shredded carrots
1 ½ cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach
1 large clove of garlic - smashed
2 ½ tablespoons of shredded parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Heat medium saucepan over medium high heat. Pour in olive oil, and place frozen meatballs in saucepan (watch out for splatter – to prevent, defrost meatballs for 15 seconds in the microwave). Let brown 1-2 minutes, rotating with a spoon or spatula. Smash garlic clove with side of large knife or your fist. Add carrots and smashed garlic into pan, stirring frequently for 30 seconds. (If garlic starts to burn before 30 seconds, immediately add the broth.) Add chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of the shredded parmesan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roughly chop spinach.

Remove garlic from the pot with a slotted spoon. Add spinach to soup, stir. Wait 20 seconds.

Salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining parmesan. Serve with dinner roll or toasted bread with butter. Serves 1-2.