The fun "action" part here is breaking up the uncooked spaghetti noodles to put into the soup. And the kids love all the chopping and dumping things into the pot. This recipe can be made in the time it takes to look through a cookbook.
You can, of course, change up the ingredients to suit what you have on hand or what you prefer. Mushrooms, anyone?
Ingredients
- 1 32-oz. container of chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 1 large can of chopped tomatoes
- Olive oil
- 1 leek, white part only, washed and sliced into thin rings
- 1 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 bag of mixed frozen vegetables
- 1 bag of frozen meatballs, if desired
- ½ bag of spaghetti, uncooked (thin spaghetti works well)
- 3-4 tablespoons of pesto, if desired, or fresh chopped basil
- Grated Parmesan, if desired, for topping
Instructions
- Have the kids put the spaghetti in a large zip-lock and break it into small pieces — or this can be done by hand over a big bowl. Set aside.
- Saute the leek and zucchini rounds in about a tablespoon of olive oil until softened. Add the meatballs if using, and sauté till thawed. Set aside.
- Put the stock and canned tomatoes in a large soup pot. Bring   to a boil over high heat.
- Add the smashed spaghetti and cook until al dente, about six minutes. (We threw a piece at the fridge, and since it stuck, we knew it was done. Have you tried this old trick? Kids love it.)
- Add the cooked vegetables (and optional meatballs) and the frozen veggies to the pot, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Serve in bowls, and drizzle pesto on top if your kids like it, or sprinkle on some chopped basil. Most of the CATS kids love Parmesan cheese, which also goes on top.
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1 thought on “Super Quick Smashed Spaghetti Soup”
HI