Italian Meatball Soup

Another great meal on a cold winter night. It is a great tomato based soup with lean beef meatballs - which were very tasty. Only one thing I want to change for next time - Instead of using frozen green beans, I would like to try making it with some fresh green beans; other that it is a delicious and healthy soup that I'm sure your family will enjoy.

Meatballs:

1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup dried parsley
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Soup:

1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
2 cups low-sodium tomato juice
½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
½ cup frozen green beans
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium beef broth

1) Preheat oven to 375°F.
2) To prepare meatballs, combine breadcrumbs, grated cheese, parsley, water, basil, black pepper, ground beef and egg in a medium bowl. Shape beef mixture into 30 (1-inch) meatballs, and place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until done. Drain on paper towel.
3) To prepare soup, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; and saute for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
4) Add meatballs, tomato juice, green bell pepper, green beans, basil, oregano, black pepper, and beef broth to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are done.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Yields: 6 servings