I made a vegetarian version with no meatballs. I've had this in several restaurants. It never includes cabbage and always includes onion, so I omitted the cabbage and added 3/4 of a lg onion (chopped). Since I did not have fat from the meat, I also added 1-2 tbsp of oil. Came out just like the restaurant versions sans the meat. While I didn't try the meatballs, I notice that the meatball ingredients do not include rice. If you want an authentic version of this soup, substitute onion for the cabbage and find a meatball recipe with rice.

Reviewed On: Sep. 21, 2008

Bread crumbs fell off as soon as tofu hit the oil. Coat in egg before breading.

Reviewed On: Jan. 12, 2008

Very good for lasagna and other baked dishes. I omitted the salt, used 2 cloves of garlic, and added a tbsp of sugar at the end as others have suggested. I also like to blend or process tomato sauces after they're done (and cooled) and refrigerate overnight. They always seem to taste better the next day.

Reviewed On: Dec. 20, 2007