Meatball minestrone is a hearty soup. This recipe can be doubled easily. If you have time, make extra and use it for another quick meal.
Fennel seeds and oregano flavor the meatballs. The fennel seeds are oval, green-brown seeds that come from the common fennel plant. They have an anise taste and are used in many liqueurs. They can be found in the spice section of your market and will keep for 6 months.
Helpful Hints:
_ Cannellini beans or chickpeas can be substituted for navy beans.
_ Minced garlic can be found in the produce section of the market.
Countdown:
_ Prepare ingredients.
_ Make minestrone.
Shopping List:
1 bottle fennel seeds, 1 bottle dried oregano, \ pound lean (95% fat-free) ground beef(ASTERISK), 1 can low-sodium, no-sugar-added diced tomatoes(ASTERISK)(ASTERISK), 1 package whole wheat spaghetti or linguine, 1 can navy beans, 1 piece Parmesan cheese, 1 yellow onion, 1 bunch celery and 1 bag washed, ready-to-eat spinach.
Staples: canola oil, fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth(ASTERISK)(ASTERISK)(ASTERISK), minced garlic, salt and black peppercorns.
