Get Well Soon Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

STOCK
1 chicken (whole or cut into pieces)
3 gallons water
4 white onions, unpeeled, quartered
1 bunch celery, ends trimmed, halved
1 lb carrot, ends trimmed, unpeeled, halved
2 whole heads of garlic, unpeeled, halved horizontally
1 cup fresh herb (your choice, dill, parlsey, sage, rosemary, thyme...)
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons salt
MEATBALLS
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup quick oatmeal
1/2 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
SOUP
8 cups stock
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups corn
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
meatballs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt & pepper
1/2 - 1 cup parmesan cheese (to taste)

Preparation

Combine all stock ingredients in a very large stockpot.
Bring to a boil & simmer 1 1/2 hours.
Remove chicken to a strainer set over a large bowl. When cooled, pick meat off bones & reserve for another use.
Let vegetables simmer another hour then strain. The liquid should be significantly reduced.
While stock is blissfully simmering away, make meatballs.
Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F.
Combine all meatball ingredients well with your hands.
Shape into 1\" balls. You should get about 2 dozen.
Place on a baking sheet & bake 15 minutes. Roll around on baking tray & bake another 15 minutes.
When stock is done & strained, put 8c into a large soup pot. Reserve the rest for a myriad of other dishes. It also freezes very well.
Add all the vegetables to the stock.
Bring to a boil & simmer until veggies are tender - about 15 minutes - breaking up the tomatoes a bit as it simmers.
Add meatballs & heat through another 10 minutes.
Taste for seasoning; add salt & pepper as necessary. Add parsley & serve.
We enjoyed this garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese.