Italian Meatball Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

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

Preparation

Peel carrots with vegetable peeler. Finely chop carrots, celery and onions.
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.
Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until paste begins to caramelize.
Add pressed garlic and seasoning; mix well. Stir in tomatoes; broth and water; bring to a simmer.
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.
Ciabatta Croutons:
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.