Reviewed: Sep. 20, 2011

I changed this recipe quite a bit, but it was a great base to go from! I wanted to share some of my changes for ideas for others! I made my meatballs from scratch and cooked them in the slow cooker all day with the broth. It added a lot of flavor! I added canned tomatoes, green beans, and fresh mushrooms as my veggies. It was amazing! Turned out really great!

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Reviewer:

MCGBishop

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Waterloo, Iowa, USA

Living In: Ames, Iowa, USA

Reviewed: Aug. 24, 2011

Good way to use up leftover meatballs and sauce that I had sitting around. Reminds me of a minestrone.

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4 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

JENNY-REDS

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Glenmoore, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Jul. 19, 2011

{Update} I made this again today for about the 5th time and I was checking out some of the comments since the last time I made it. Many say it is too brothy. It may "appear" that way as it is cooking but once you add the pasta and it plumps up it is much thicker. This really is a wonderful soup as directed and a great base to "add on" if you like.{end Update} Made as directed - delicious! It was wonderful with crusty bread! Thanks for sharing.

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Reviewer:

FinleyMom

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA

Living In: Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA

Reviewed: May 23, 2011

This soup is a hit in my family since we love meatballs. My family likes it without the pasta though. Also, I added crushed red pepper flakes which gives it a kick. Marcie

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Reviewer:

Marci

Reviewed: May 5, 2011

Very watery, little flavor in broth. Made by my class and they were all disapointed. three different times. Maybe the suggestions by others would help. I would not make this recipe again without making changes

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Reviewer:

barbmc

Reviewed: Apr. 4, 2011

I used the recipe as a base then added my own touch by including bell perppers, carrots, mushrooms, onion and corn. I put all ingredients in the slow cooker and added the pasta just before serving. The base was a bit strong on tomatos so I added a can of chicken broth. This was a wonderful, hearty dish! More of a stew than a soup.

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Reviewer:

itsjustbonnie

Living In: Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 30, 2011

This was okay - I used fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce and used orzo for the pasta. I added about half an onion sauteed in olive oil for a couple minutes before adding the carrot, celery, and garlic. Then added the meatballs and liquids along with some red pepper flakes for flavor. Pretty good, but didn't get raves at the dinner table. It does get brownie points for being easy - a great use for pre-made meatballs.

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Reviewer:

LolaMama

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Albertville, Alabama, USA

Living In: Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2011

this was a really good soup. i didn't have carrots so i doubled the celery, plus i like onion in soups, so i added half a chopped onion. i sauted that in a few tablespoons of olive oil to soften veggies then added the garlic for a bout a minute before adding the liquid and tomato sauce. i also added a little marjoram and rosemary ( i like those flavors) in addtion to the spices listed. had i not been feeding it to my kids, i would have added crushed red pepper flakes. i had uncooked, frozen meatballs in my freezer that i threw in and simmered and they were completely cooked in the 30 minutes. they were really good even though they hadn't been browned like you would get having pre-cooked them in the oven or stovetop. I didn't have any parmesan cheese on hand so i let my kids sprinkle a little mozzerella on top. my 7 year old commented "mom, it tastes like pizza"! so i guess it was a hit!! i'll definately be making this again. i doubled the recipe and cooked the noodles separately so i could freeze the leftover soup without soggy noodles. when we eat the leftovers, i'll just boil more noodles and add them and voila!! looks like i made it from scratch again that night!!

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Reviewer:

NOWAGEORGIAGIRL

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: San Marcos, California, USA

Living In: Eagle River, Alaska, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 21, 2011

just cook on medium high when you add the pasta to cook off the excess liquid:)

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Reviewer:

AmberK

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand

Living In: Penn Valley, California, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 21, 2011

Easy! I made it with spaghetti sauce as a substitute for tomatoe sauce and spices (although added garlic) and it was perfect. Put it beside a grilled cheese sandwich and kids and all will love it!

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7 users found this review helpful