Er, That Didn't Go As Planned

Meatball and Bean Tortilla Soup

So, last week I planned on making a recipe that I found in Family Circle magazine. It was a one pot soup- Sausage and Bean Tortilla Soup. It looked delicious and what's more, it was quick and Kosher. Essentially speaking I wouldn't have to change a thing about the recipe. And then life happened.

I went shopping and forgot to get the main ingredient: Chicken Sausages. After 20 minutes of painful (ok, it wasn't really so painful) deliberation over whether I should make the next night's supper that night, I decided to use the package of chopped meat I had in the freezer to make my own sausages- in a manner of speaking. 

The Attempt

Meatballs

1/2 lb chopped meat

1 egg

1/2 cup panko crumbs

1/4 of a package of taco seasoning 

Mix all ingredients together and roll into small meatballs

Soup

2 tbs canola oil

2 cups chopped onions and peppers

1 (14 1/2  oz) can of reduced sodium stewed tomatoes

1 (8 oz ) can of tomato sauce

1 (32 oz) container of reduced sodium chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

chile powder, to taste

dried oregano, to taste

salt, to taste

Meatballs (see above)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers, cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Stir in tomatoes, breaking up with a spoon. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, beans, peas, spices, and meatballs. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered until meatballs are fully cooked. 

Note: There are some major changes from the original recipe:

1.  I used frozen peas instead of frozen corn because prince charming doesn't like corn (may have mentioned this before...
2. I doubled the amount of broth from the original recipe because once I added all the ingredients it seemed like there wasn't enough liquid. 
3. The original recipe doesn't call for a can of tomato sauce, but once I added more broth I had to compensate with more tomato to keep the flavor right. 
4. Also, the original recipe only called for 1 tsp each of the chile powder and dried oregano and 1/8 of a tsp of salt. Because of the added broth I had to keep adjusting the taste so in the end I wasn't sure how much I actually added. 
5. You can serve it with crumbled tortilla chips, sliced scallions and avocado on top like the recipe recommends, but I didn't think it was necessary. 

The Verdict

The soup was great. It had a good subtle flavor. Though I was making it in the summer I would say it is a perfect winter soup. It also makes a lot! A ton more than I thought it would- it's possible that the meatballs made the soup expand? 

I would probably try the original recipe at some point, but I have to say, this one is a keeper.