It may be cold outside; but, warmth emanates from the table with a well prepared soup. We all have our favorite soup; it’s the presentation that captures the special moment. That delightful glee is created because someone took the extra time to create a designer moment. With soup, this can be created by preparing an artful meatball. Insert and arrange fresh basil leaves into a cooked meatball. Just before the soup is served, place the designer meatball in the bottom of the bowl. Set the bowl in front of the guest and gently pour the soup around the design. Accolades go to the chef du cuisine who makes each guest feel special. Enjoy my Minestrone Soup recipe and remember to include the artful designer surprise meatball!
Minestrone Soup
In a large stock pot add 6 quarts of spring water, 32 oz. of tomato sauce, 1 whole onion (remove after 2 hours), 3 celery stalks (remove after 2 hours) and 1 bay leaf (remove after 2 hours).
Simmer for 2 hours. Add chunks of peeled potatoes, ½ cup of penne pasta, fresh snapped Italian green beans and fresh snapped white wax beans. Season with pesto, a pinch of sugar, fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to taste. (Add more water, as needed.) Simmer until the potatoes are cooked.
For the designer meatballs, use 1 lb. organic ground beef, 3 toasted onion buns (crumbled), minced fresh garlic, 2 eggs, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Roll into 1 inch balls and fry in olive oil. When cooked, insert fresh basil leaves into each ball creating a splendid artful design. Place each designer meatball into each serving bowl. Then, gently pour on the Minestrone Soup! © Kelly McBride Loft