Spaghetti & Meatball Soup

*Chef's Note: The weather around these parts has gone from 70 degree days reminiscent of summer to barely over 50 degrees and overcast. In order to combat this late-winter bout of dreariness I turned to cooking soup. At this point in the season I've cooked through all my favorite recipes and was getting tired of the old standbys.  I wanted something hearty but healthy, and uncomplicated in palate. So I went back to a recipe I had marked in my America's Test Kitchen Light and Healthy 2011 cookbook. It covered all the basics and I even had 90% of the ingredients on hand. A quick trip to the store for some ground turkey and I was golden. Now, I've had some REALLY bad luck with tomato soups in the past (and the Husband is not a big tomato soup fan unless it surrounds spaghetti-o's) so I was hesitant to forge ahead and make my own tomato soup base, but I'm awfully glad I did. This came out brilliantly--creamy and rich with very little fat and all the flavors I associate with comfort food. Even the husband dubbed it "really good" and said it was reminiscent of beef-a-roni in the best way possible.  It was a one pot meal that dirtied one cutting board , one glass bowl, and one immersion blender; something this good and this tidy automatically lands itself on the rotation for as long as the weather stays chilly.*

Spaghetti & Meatball Soup (a.k.a. Tomato Soup with Meatballs and Pasta)
from America's Test Kitchen Light & Healthy 2011 cookbook (with parenthetical notes by Elise)

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

You can use any small, bite-size pasta in this recipe: pasta alphabets are fun if you can find them. Do not use ground chicken breast here--also labeled 99% fat-free--or the meatballs will be dry and grainy. You can make your own pesto, or use your favorite store-bought variety. Serve with a light sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.  If you are concerned about sodium intake, substituted low-sodium diced tomatoes. 


6 ounces ground chicken (I used 93% lean ground turkey since it was on sale and I've had great success with it in the past)
3 tablespoons pesto
3 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1 onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped medium
1 small celery rib, chopped medium
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 ounces ditalini pasta (about 3/4 cup)

1. Combine the onion, carrot, celery, oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven (I used a 4 quart saucepan and it worked out beautifully).  Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the carrot is softened, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While the vegetables are simmering, mix the chicken (or turkey), pesto, bread crumbs, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch pepper together in a bowl and combine the mixture with your hands until it is uniform. Scoop heaping teaspoonfuls and gently form into 3/4-inch round meatballs--you should have about 30 meatballs.  (This is where I broke out my small oxo cookie scoop--it's 1 1/2 teaspoons, so I only filled it 2/3 of the way full. Cookie scoops are not just for cookies!) Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Working in 2 batches, process the soup in a blender until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer. (Or if you have an immersion blender, take the pot off the stove and blend for the same time directly in the pot.)
4. Stir the meatballs and pasta into the pot and cook until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs are cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. (This should be done gently, as we don't want the meatballs falling apart.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Tips:
* (This one from the book) To prevent getting sprayed or burned by an exploding blender top, fill the blender jar only two-thirds full, hold the lid in place with a folded kitchen towel, and pulse rapidly a couple of times before blending continuously.
* I know blending the soup for 2-3 minutes seems long, but this step is mandatory if you want that creamy tomato soup texture we're after.
* After you add the noodles, scrape the bottom of the pot every couple of minutes since the pasta will stick somethin' fierce. Also, al dente is key here since the pasta will continue to cook even after the soup is off the heat and you don't want to end up with sogged-out pastas.
*This keeps well in the fridge and reheats nicely. I'm sure it could easily be doubled.
*To make this into a really quick weeknight meal, prepare the tomato soup base by following steps 1 and 3 and freeze that. Then when you'r ready to make the rest of your soup, defrost the base, make your meatballs and stir them and the pasta into the simmering soup and cook as directed. You could even make double the amount of soup base one night, finish half for dinner and freeze the other half.  You would be using the same amount of dishes and have twice the meals!