Dirty Dishes: Mama’s Slow Cooker Meatball Soup

This soup has been a cold weather staple in our house for a long time. Yesterday we got a spring winter storm with more than 10cm of snow. Soup seemed logical so I changed it by adding a gluten-free, wheat-free, organic quinoa pasta and I think it’s damn near perfection! I use mostly organic ingredients and after checking all my ingredients, I’ve found that it’s also a sugar free meal! We are not a gluten-free house but I do think that having G-free meals once a day are as important to our health as having meatless meals once in a while. Variety is the key to ultimate health. The kids loved it and Brent (the husband) was very impressed that I managed to make my awesome soup even awesomer!

2 medium carrots diced small
2 stalks celery diced
1 small onion diced small
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cups of broth (veggie or beef)
1 1/2 cups water
1 pound of your favourite meatballs (uncooked) (my recipe below if you don’t have one)
150g (about half of a 300g bag) Anelli wheat-free, gluten-free, vegan, organic pasta (GoGo Quinoa brand)

In a large slow cooker, combine all ingredients EXCEPT pasta. Stir and cover. Turn slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. 20 minutes before you want to eat, boil a pot of water (season with salt if desired, I never do), add quinoa pasta and cook as directed. Keep a close eye on the pasta as you don’t want to over cook it. Stir frequently. Once pasta is done, drain. Spoon some pasta in the bottom of each bowl and ladle meatball soup over top. Mix pasta and soup gently. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan if desired.
ENJOY!

Mama’s Meatballs
1 pound of organic lean ground beef
1/2 cup of gluten free bread crumbs or Panko crumbs OR 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Mix by hand. Take about 1-1 1/2 tbsp of meat and roll into a ball. Add raw meatballs to slow cooker with soup.