I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but for some reason, everyone in my house is working late, traveling and running from event to event. Long nights and busy weekends don’t make for good food choices and it’s tough to spend a Sunday meticulously preparing lunches for the week ahead. We’ve been ordering take out and pizza more often than I’d like to admit. But that’s going to stop – because now I have foolproof slow cooker recipes like this comforting Italian Wedding Soup.
Instead of making poor choices so early in the year and destroying all the progress we’ve made towards our nutrition goals, this simple soup has come to our rescue. We make this hearty soup filled with healthy ingredients in the slow cooker. It takes a few minutes to prepare the meatballs, and, within a few hours, the entire house is filled with the inviting aromas of Italian ingredients, savory broth, turkey meatballs, spinach and pasta. Bring the crock to the table and add parmesan and freshly cracked pepper. Your whole family will love it and you can easily reheat leftovers during the hectic week ahead.
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 large onion chopped, divided
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 ounces containers chicken broth 32each
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 3 cups Fresh spinach leaves
- Stir turkey, eggs, 1/2 of the onion, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl until well blended. Roll turkey mixture into balls using 1 tablespoon per meatball.
- Add meatballs and remaining ingredients, except pasta and spinach to slow cooker crock.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or LOW for 6 to 6 1/2. Add pasta, cover and continue cooking for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through.
- Stir in spinach and remaining Parmesan cheese before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and coarse black pepper.
For the cook who is busy all day but wants a home-cooked dinner at night, a slow cooker is the answer. And with the Set & Forget® Programmable Slow Cooker, technology takes a big leap forward from the outdated slow cookers found in yesterday’s kitchens.
TAGS: pasta, slow cooker, soup, turkey
CATEGORIES: Everyday Recipes, Healthy Eating, main courses, soup & stews
THERE IS NOTHING BETTER OR MORE TASTY THAN MEALS THAT ARE PREPARED IN A SLOW COOKER. ANNE USES HERS EVERY WEEK, ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER.