Winter Vegetable and Meatball Soup

(serves 4-6)
Ingredients:

·         ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

·         2 cups Vidalia onions (chopped)

·         2 garlic cloves (crushed)

·         ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

·         ½ cup red wine

·         1 Tbsp of granulated sugar

·         1 tsp oregano (dried)

·         20 mini size (organic frozen style meat balls)

·         1 cup of winter squash (diced in small ½’ pieces)

·         1 cup roasted red peppers (chopped)

·         2 (8oz cans) of tomato’s (chopped with juice)

·         1( 8 oz) can of tomato sauce

·         2 pints of beef stock

·         3/4 cup of elbow macaroni pasta

·         1 cup fresh basil (chopped)

·         2 oz Dubliner cheese (shaved)

·         Olive oil (to drizzle)

Directions:

·         Sauté the onions in the olive oil for a few moments to soften and then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

·         Add the balsamic vinegar, wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce and beef stock.  Stir in the sugar and the oregano.

·         Bring sauce to simmering point and then add the meatballs and cook for 20 minutes.

·         Stir in the winter squash and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.

·         Add the elbow macaroni pasta and roasted red peppers.  Continue to cook the soup until the pasta is al dente and that is between 7-9 minutes for macaroni pasta.

·         Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil.

·         To serve the soup ladle in to bowls and garnish with shaved Dubliner cheese   Drizzle with additional olive oil.
Submitted by Judith McLoughlin of The Ulster Kitchen from her cookbook The Shamrock and Peach