Tomato soup with spaghetti and chicken meatballs

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for a further 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes and 21/2 cups (625ml) of the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes while you make the meatballs.

Step 2

For the chicken meatballs, place the remaining 2 1/2 cups (625ml) chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Squeeze sausage meat from the casings and form into about 30 small (3cm) meatballs. Add the meatballs to the stock and simmer for 10 minutes until cooked through. Remove the meatballs to a plate with a slotted spoon, then return the stock to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, then drain, discarding the stock.

Step 3

Use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth (or blend in batches in a blender, then return to the pan). Add the cooked spaghetti and meatballs to the soup and warm through gently for 5 minutes over low heat.

Step 4

Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with basil leaves and parmesan, then serve with bread.