Meatball Alphabet Soup

Bite-sized ground turkey meatballs perk up this fun alphabet soup. A variety of vegetables mix in a rich tomato broth seasoned with herbs.

—Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Prep: 20 min. • Cook: 35 min. • Makes: 9 servings

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp. quick-cooking oats
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. Italian seasoning
• ½ lb. lean ground turkey
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup diced peeled potatoes
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cans (14 ½ oz. each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• ¾ cup uncooked alphabet pasta

1. 1. In a bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into ½-in. balls. In a nonstick skillet, brown the meatballs in small batches over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove from the heat; set aside.
2. 2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in oil for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add garlic; saute for 1 minute longer. Add the broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, basil and thyme; bring to a boil.
3. 3. Add pasta; cook for 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat; add meatballs. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

1 ½ cups: 192 cal., 5g fat (1g sat. fat), 39mg chol., 742mg sod., 26g carb. (8g sugars, 4g fiber), 13g pro.

TIP

Consider preparing meatballs in bulk to save time. You can make several batches of meatballs, cook them, and then freeze until needed. Simply thaw the frozen meatballs in the refrigerator overnight and you’ll be ready to go.