Be sure to fry the meatball onions. Once softened, onions may readily lend their sweet flavour to the meatball mixture.
Best bit? Only 25 minutes are needed to make this slow-cooker meatball soup.
– 1 tablespoon olive oil – 2 cups chopped yellow onions (from 1 onion) – 5 garlic cloves, minced (about 5 teaspoons) – 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt – ½ teaspoon black pepper – 4 cups unsalted chicken stock – 1 cup chopped carrots (from 1 carrot) – 1 cup chopped zucchini (from 1 zucchini)
– 4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup) – ½ cup thinly sliced celery (from 1 celery stalk) – 1 (14.5 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoe – 1 pound ground chicken – ⅓ cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) – 2 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley – 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Stir the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper in the skillet for 6 minutes until softened.
Set aside 1/2 cup of the cooked onion mixture in a medium bowl. Put the leftover onion mixture in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Mix stock, carrots, zucchini, green beans, celery, and tomatoes in the slow cooker.
Add chicken, panko, 1/2 tablespoon parsley, and 1 teaspoon oregano to the reserved 1/2 cup onion mixture in the bowl; toss gently with a fork. Make 18 1 1/4-inch chicken meatballs. Avoid swirling the slow cooker chicken stock mixture as you submerge the meatballs. Cover and cook HIGH for 2 hours and 30 minutes to tenderize the meatballs and vegetables. Add 2 tablespoons left-over parsley and 1 teaspoon oregano. Bowl the soup and serve hot.
Tips Transfer the remaining onion mixture to the inner pot of a 6-quart multicooker in Step 1. Stock, carrots, zucchini, green beans, celery, and tomatoes should be mixed in. Step 2 involves submerging the meatballs in the chicken stock mixture without stirring. Lock the lid and set Pressure Valve to "Venting." About 3 hours on SLOW COOK [More] will tenderize the meatballs and vegetables. Finish Step2.