Cream of tomato soup with meatballs, deconstructed!

When winter hangs on and it seems spring will never come, there is nothing better than a hearty soup to warm the soul.  One of my favorites is cream of tomato soup with meatballs. 

At the base of this soup is a simple meatball made solely from ground Italian sausage.  While the meatballs can be fried, I have found it easier to simply bake them in the oven.  Traditional Italian sausage is made with pork and high in fat.  Fortunately, there are not many low-fat versions available, all made with chicken or turkey.

This recipe can be made with a sweet, spicy, or hot Italian sausage.  The spice level solely depends on your preference.   If you can’t decide, mix it up!  Make half of the meatballs with a sweet sausage and half with a spicy or hot sausage.

Cream of tomato soup with meatballs

2 lbs. ground Italian sausage

2 large cans whole peeled tomatoes

3 c. chicken broth

¾ c. heavy cream

2 TB. red wine

1 c. chopped red onion

1 c. chopped carrots

4 cloves minced garlic

4 tsp. dry basil

2 TB. sugar

1 TB. salt

2 tsp. pepper

Optional:  2 TB. sugar

Olive oil

Form the Italian sausage into meatballs, approximately the size of walnuts.   Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, until golden brown.  Set aside.

In a large pot, heat two  tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the onions and carrots.  Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook the mixture for two more minutes.  Mix in the canned tomatoes and chicken stock.  Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer for approximately two hours.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  Using an immersion or regular blender, puree the mixture until it is the consistency of soup.   

Add the basil and cream, and bring the soup to a boil.  Let it simmer until the mixture thickens slightly.  (If the mixture is too thick, add more chicken broth or water.) Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.  Add the meatballs and stir.  Let the soup simmer for an additional 10 minutes and serve.

Cream of tomato soup with meatballs, deconstructed

2 lbs. ground Italian sausage

>Fat alert:  Italian sausage is high in fat.  If fat is a dietary concern, replace it with a lower fat sausage made with chicken or turkey.  However, check the product label carefully!  Not all chicken or turkey sausages are low in fat!

>Ingredient alert:  The cooked meatballs will be covered in fat after they are baked.  This fat will add flavor to the soup.  However, if fat is a dietary concern, drain the meatballs on a paper towel after baking.

>Health alert:  If you do not eat meat, there are many different types of vegetable-based sausages available.  Simply remove the "sausage" from the casing, roll it into balls, and bake.

 2 large cans whole peeled tomatoes

>Health alert:  Some canned tomatoes contain high levels of salt or sugar.  Check the product labels carefully. 

3 c. chicken stock

>Fat alert: Commercial chicken broth may be high in fat.  Low or no-fat versions are available.  In the alternative, make your own and skim off the fat.

>Health alert: Commercial chicken broth may also be high in salt.  Low-sodium versions are available. In the alternative, make your own and eliminate the salt.

>Health alert:  Commercial chicken broth may contain MSG.  If this is a dietary concern, check the product label carefully.  In the alternative, make your own to control all ingredients.

>Health alert: If meat is not in your diet, vegetable stock may be used. 

 ¾ c. heavy cream 

>Fat alert:  Heavy cream is packed with fat, that’s why it tastes so good!  It may be replaced with low or no-fat varieties, Half and Half, or milk.  

>Health alert:  Cream is a dairy product.  If this is a dietary concern, try a non-dairy cream substitute.

>Ingredient alert:  Cream is a thickening agent in the soup. If the cream must be eliminated, boil half of a head of chopped cauliflower, two potatoes, or four chopped parsnips (about four cups) in low-fat milk or low-fat chicken stock until tender, and puree. Cream alternatives may also be thickened with corn starch, gelatin, Agar Agar, lemon juice, or cream cheese. 

2 TB. red wine

>Health alert:  Some red wines are high in sugar.  If this is a dietary concern, a reduced sugar wine may be used.  In the alternative, the wine may be thinned with water, or replaced with balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or eliminated.

>Health alert:  Red wine contains alcohol.  If this a dietary concern, it may be replaced with diluted balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or eliminated. 

1 c. chopped red onion

1 c. chopped carrots

4 cloves minced garlic

4 tsp. dry basil

2 TB. sugar

>Health alert:  If sugar is a dietary concern, the amount may be reduced or eliminated. 

1 TB. salt

2 tsp. pepper

Olive oil

>Fat alert:  Olive is oil is a “good fat,” but a fat nonetheless.  If fat is a dietary concern, the onions and carrots may be roasted in the oven on a cookie sheet lightly dusted with cooking spray or lined with foil.

(Follow the instructions above.)