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Minestrone Soup with Blue Cheese-Parmesan Meatballs

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Sunday is our day to rest, which includes a rest from cooking, so dinners throughout the week have to carry us through the weekend. As the weather turns colder, soup is ideal to comfort from the chill in the air, as well as provide for Sunday’s break from the kitchen.  I have had this Minestrone Soup recipe rolling around in my head for months. It is one of those things you have to get into the kitchen to work it out—even take an entire day just to make it as you imagined. Well, that’s how it is for me, anyway.

Yes, I’ve had those times when not all the tweaks and additions measure up to what my taste buds anticipated, though it is never a waste, I always learn. Fortunately, yesterday wasn’t one of those times :D.  This recipe turned to gold right before my eyes with beefy broth, loads of savory vegetables, and tender meatballs.

Rolling mini-meatballs can be a bit tedious, but I am a perfect bite kind of gal, so there has to be more than just a meatball on the spoon.  The blue cheese is subtle, blending with the Parmesan beautifully, packing deep flavor in each morsel—it was exactly as I imagined. If it is the perfect bite you’re after, you will want a hearty, crusty bread to soak up every drop of the delicious broth too.

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Minestrone Soup with Blue Cheese-Parmesan Meatballs

The blue cheese in the meatballs is subtle, blending with the Parmesan beautifully, packing deep flavor in each bite.
Prep Time45 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr 30 mins
Course: Soups
Cuisine: Italian American
Servings: 10
Author: Judy Purcell

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs [for gluten-free, use GF bread]
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion , finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
  • 1/4 cup blue cheese , crumbled fine

For the Soup:

  • 3 quarts beef stock
  • 2x3 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped leeks , white and light green part only
  • 1 cup sliced fennel bulb , then coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 6 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups diced parsnips
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves , crushed fine
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 30 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 15 ounces canned red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups dry pasta for gluten-free , use [Ancient Harvest Quinoa Shells
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves , lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
  • sea salt and pepper , to taste

Instructions

For the Meatballs:

  • In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs with milk and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, sugar, and spices; set aside.
  • Saute onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until softened.
  • Mix meats and blue cheese together, add egg and spice mixture and onions; mix thoroughly. Shape into small 1/2" meatballs. Place meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Broil on HI until lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on size of meatballs. Break one open to be sure they are cooked through, extend cooking time if needed.
  • Set meatballs aside to finish the soup. Note: This meatball recipe will produce more than is needed for the soup, though you can add as many as you like. Add the remaining meatballs to a pasta sauce or use for appetizers, simply freeze until ready to use.

For the Soup:

  • Pour beef stock into a soup pot and add a 2x3" piece of Parmesan rind, bring to a low simmer (if you do not have Parmesan rind, grate some Parmesan into the stock). In a skillet over medium heat, saute leeks, fennel, and celery in half the olive oil until the vegetables begin to caramelize. Add garlic and continue to cook until garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add to the soup pot with stock.
  • In the same skillet, saute the carrots and parsnips in the other half of the olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle with the oregano, rosemary, and red pepper flakes and cook until vegetables begin to brown lightly and herbs are fragrant. Add to the soup pot.
  • Crush the tomatoes by hand or in a food processor until desired consistency. Add tomatoes with juices to the pot along with the drained kidney beans and meatballs. Stir to combine and simmer until flavors meld and vegetables are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
  • Add dry pasta, spinach, and parsley to the soup and simmer an additional 15 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with more Parmesan and serve with crusty bread or Parmesan-Garlic toasts.

Notes

This meatball recipe will produce more than is needed for the soup, though you can add as many as you like. Add the remaining meatballs to a pasta sauce or use for appetizers, simply freeze until ready to use.

Equipment

6-Qt Soup Pot

Nutrition

Serving: 10g | Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 1515mg | Potassium: 1584mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4010IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 285mg | Iron: 6.6mg
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