I admit I was a little nervous about this soup. I don't like vegetables in soup that much (heck I don't even really like some vegetables out of soup), I don't usually like beef-broth based soups, and the night I had planned to make this I just wanted a big bowl of creamy mac & cheese. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really liked this! It had so much more flavor than I anticipated, and the medley of vegetables turned out to be really good. This is a perfect way to get your kids (ahem, or wife) to eat vegetables. We grated parmesan cheese on the top and served with freshly baked bread.
Meatball Ratatouille Soup
1 lb of meatballs, cooked through
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 small eggplant, peeled and diced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
10 oz beef broth + 10 oz water
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf (I didn't have one)
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan cheese to garnish
Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add onion and green pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and meatballs and saute another minute. Add zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.
source: salad in a jar
