If you love soup but hate having to peel and chop lots of ingredients then this is the recipe for you. There are lots of yummy ingredients but other than garlic, none that require prepping. In fact, you can even replace the fresh garlic with a half teaspoon of garlic powder if you need to due to lack of time or ingredients.

Canned and frozen ingredients make this soup a breeze to prepare. And don’t worry about the taste being compromised, it tastes amazing!

The combination of tomatoes and chicken stock make a fantastic broth. Basil and oregano add a savory infusion of flavor. The pepper, allspice and fennel also add irresistible sweetness, heat and a little complexity to keep your taste buds happy.

The recipe calls for meatballs but feel free to substitute cooked sausage if that is what you have on hand. Also, if you want to make this vegetarian-friendly then you can leave out the meatballs and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. If you do leave out the meat and want the soup to be a bit more filling then try adding in a can or two of white or red kidney beans.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
• 1- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon ground fennel
• 12 ounces frozen cheese tortellini
• 16 ounces frozen spinach
• 12 – 16 ounces ounces cooked meatballs, fresh or frozen
• Salt to taste

Instructions

Briefly simmer the minced garlic in the olive oil and then add all of the ingredients through the ground fennel. Bring to a simmer on medium high heat and then add the tortellini, spinach and meatballs. Return to a simmer and simmer over medium low heat until the tortellini are tender (about 10 minutes). Salt to taste. Makes about 15 cups.