Florentine Vegetable Soup with Sweet Italian Sausage Meatballs

You make it in two parts.

1) - The meatballs. 

Sweet Italian Sausage

Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

I combine sweet Italian sausage with seasoned bread crumbs and finely shredded parmesan cheese. I form the meatballs into small orbs--half the size that I would for Spaghetti, they should fit on a soupspoon. And I brown them in a little olive oil and set aside.

2) - The soup 

Water

Knorr brand condensed Beef Stock (2)

Kosher Salt

Oregano (dried)

Carrots

Onion

Celery

Portobello Mushrooms

Spinach (frozen cut leaf)

Tomatoes (canned diced with roasted garlic and onion)

Parmesan Cheese (shaved, for garnish)

Start with two quarts of water and two Knorr condensed beef stock, some kosher salt and some dried oregano (a generous amount --like a tsp). Then in went 4 small carrots, 1 medium onion, 3 larger celery stalks and 12 oz.of baby portobello mushrooms, and after simmering for about 30 minutes, add the meatballs with a package of frozen spinach (cut leaves) and a can of diced tomatoes with roasted garlic and onion. I avoided the tomatoes with basil--too sweet. I let that simmer on low for about an hour so the flavors would all condense.

Then I served it with some shaved aged parmesan and a couple of slices of Olive Bread to sop with. I would make this again and serve it to guests in a heartbeat.