Italian Tomato Soup with Meatballs

This stick-to-the-ribs soup is ready to serve in a speedy 40 minutes, thanks to prepared roasted garlic marinara sauce and store-bought seasoned breadcrumbs

11⁄2 lbs. ground beef

4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped, 2 cups

1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1⁄4 cup Italian-style dry breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tsp. fennel seeds, finely crushed

1⁄ tsp. salt

1⁄4 tsp. pepper

1 (23 oz.) jar roasted garlic marinara pasta sauce with vegetables

21⁄2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Heat oven to 425°F. Generously coat large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, gently stir together ground beef, baby bella mushrooms, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian-style breadcrumbs, egg, minced garlic, 1 tsp. fennel seeds, salt and pepper until just combined. Shape into 24 meatballs; place on baking sheet. Bake 12 min. or until no longer pink in centers. Meanwhile, in large pot, combine roasted garlic marinara sauce, low-sodium chicken broth and remaining fennel seeds over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10 min. more, until heated through and flavors are blended, stirring occasionally and adding meatballs during last 3 min. of cooking time. Serve hot. If desired, garnish soup with fresh parsley.

Servings: 6. Kitchen time: 30 min. Total

time: 40 min. Cals.: 351. Protein: 26g. Fat: 18g. ( 6g. saturated). Chol.: 104mg. Carbs.: 20g. Sodium: 1,045mg. Fiber: 3g. Sugar: 10g.