Italian Meatball Soup

• 2 medium carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 small onion
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning mix
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes in puree
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 16 fully frozen cooked meatballs
• salt
• fresh coarse ground black pepper
• For Ciabatta Croutons
• 6 ounces ciabatta or 6 ounces other crusty Italian bread
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Peel carrots with vegetable peeler. Finely chop carrots, celery and onions.
2. Lightly spray pot(4qt) with oil and add carrots, celery and onion. Cook over medium heat 4-5 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until paste begins to caramelize.
4. Add pressed garlic and seasoning; mix well. Stir in tomatoes; broth and water; bring to a simmer.
5. Cut meatballs in half; add to soup. Simmer an additional 10-12 minutes; season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve hot and garnish with Ciabatta Croutons.
6. Ciabatta Croutons:
7. Pre heat Oven to 425 degrees. Slice loaf into 1 inch cubes. Toss cubes with olive oil and arrange in an even layer on pan. Bake 12-14minutes or until golden brown.

carrots, stalks celery, onion, tomato paste, garlic, italian seasoning mix, tomatoes, beef broth, water, meatballs, salt, ground black pepper, croutons, bread, olive oil

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/italian-meatball-soup-347812 (may not work)