Here’s a really nostalgic recipe – for me, at least! I grew up eating this soup nearly every week in the winter. My nana made it, my mom made it, and before I was plant-based, I made it. Then I stopped eating meat and cheese and kind of forget about this soup. But when I saw the Beyond Beef package in the store, I thought of the little meatballs immediately and knew I had to give it a go. GLAD I DID!!
This took me back and brought so much delicious and warm comfort to the table. My husband especially could not stop raving about it. So yes, it is officially a staple (again and at least) in our house. Willow wasn’t very into it but I hope that it grows on her over time. Picky toddlers, right? ;)
This makes an extra large pot of soup so you can half it if you need to or get ready or lots of delicious leftovers (which you can also freeze, too!)
Recipe
You will need:
For meatballs:
- 1 20oz package of Beyond Beef (by Beyond Meat)
- 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese (I use this homemade recipe)
- 1/2 cup vegan breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tbsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
For soup:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 carrots, diced
- 6 stalks celery, diced
- About 8-10 cups of veggie stock (or enough to fill up your pot)
- 1 cup pastina (or another pasta of your choice)
- 1 head escarole, washed well and roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Vegan parmesan cheese, to taste
To make:
- To make the meatballs, preheat oven to 400 F and prepare a large sheet pan with a non-stick mat or cooking spray. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and combine using your hands. It’s important to make sure everything is well incorporated! Roll into small meatballs (bite-size) and line up on the sheet pan (this recipe made around 70 meatballs for me). Place in 400 F oven and bake for 30 minutes. Set aside when done.
- In a large pot, add olive oil, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes before adding veggie stock. Bring to a boil.
- While the veggies are coming to a boil, prepare your pasta separately according to package and then set aside.
- Once the veggies are boiling, turn down to a simmer. Add in your escarole, salt, pepper, and vegan parmesan. Give a nice twirl, tilt cover to let a little steam escape, and let simmer for 45 minutes.
- When the soup is done, assemble! First pasta, then soup, then meatballs. Top with vegan parmesan and enjoy!
Thanks for reading and let me know if you end up making this. Or if this was a staple in your home, too! x
