This is a wonderful soup recipe that will get children to eat their vegetables!

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds ground beef, 85% works just fine

1 cup fresh bread crumbs or store bought

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

6-8 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons minced fresh mint

3 teaspoons salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

4-6 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 green peppers, seeded and diced

3 medium yellow or sweet onions, diced

6-8 carrots, sliced

6-8 celery stalks, sliced

1 quart water

1 ½ cups red wine (optional)

2 cans chopped tomatoes or 2 cans tomato sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1-2 teaspoons dried oregano

Let’s get to cookin’!  How to prepare this tasty soup:

Line a baking sheet with non-stick Reynolds wrap and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the ground beef, broken into bits with a fork, bread crumbs, egg, parsley, 3 crushed cloves garlic, mint leaves, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Mix the ingredients with a fork or your hands.

Form the meatball mixture into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Roll each ball lightly in the flour and set on the baking sheet.  In a large sauce pan cover the bottom of pan with olive oil.  Brown the meatballs over moderate heat for about 10-12 minutes.  Remove the meatballs and set aside.

                          

Remove some of the meatball drippings out of the saucepan and throw away. Brown the remaining crushed garlic in saucepan.  Sauté the green pepper, onions, carrots and celery for about 8-10 minutes.

In a large stockpot add the water, tomatoes or tomato sauce and stir together until mixed. Add the red wine, vinegar, sugar and dried oregano and mix well.

Slowly add the meatballs to the soup mixture. Mix all the ingredients together well.  Cover the skillet and simmer the soup for 1 ½ – 2 hours.  The longer the soup cooks the better the flavor!

You can use pre-made bread crumbs or make your own. I use fresh bread crumbs whenever possible.

Give it a try…make your own bread crumbs:

Take 4-5 slices of fresh bread and remove crusts. Cut bread slice in half.  Using your hands crumble the bread slices into a medium size bowl.  That’s all, pretty simple!

I love to serve warm tortillas, buttered if desired, as a side dish. A fresh green salad also works wonderfully here.  Don’t forget the fresh vegetables for salad toppings.  This soup also makes for great leftovers.  Single moms, freeze the leftover soup and take out when you have “One of Those Days!”  You’ll be glad you did!

The red wine gives this Albondigas soup a very gourmet taste.  If entertaining for adult guests, I would definitely add the red wine.  Some children may not like the wine flavor as much so add a tad more water, if you choose to omit the wine.

Happy Cooking Friends!

Yours Truly with Love and Peace in my Heart,

G-