This week, we decided to add to the growing list of soups that we've made by creating one of the best Halal ravioli meatball soup we've ever had. Our previous meatball soup was more focused on being a light, easy to prepare meal that is made in a croc pot for extreme convenience. This time around, we're taking out the croc pot, but the soup is still so easy to make!

Rather than slow cooking all our ingredients together, this time we're going to sauté our onion and garlic, and then add most our remaining ingredients and let it simmer for 45 minutes to get all those ingredients tender and have the flavors spread out among the soup. This time we decided to use premade raviolis, rather than making our own. We chose to use a 4 cheese ravioli, however, a butternut squash ravioli would also add a nice flavor to this hearty soup.

I love using Midamar's Halal Italian meatballs for soups like this. Of course they can be used in spaghetti or sandwiches or pizza but, I personally love these meatballs in soup. They're seasoned, so they add a little bit of flavor that way, but they also are fully cooked so I don't have to worry about making sure the meatballs are cooked all the way through. Not to mention, they still retain enough beefy flavor to make the soup, or whatever it's in, taste great.

Now let's talk about the best times to use a soup like this. Usually, the easy answer is: whenever you want soup, have soup. But I think there's more to it! I personally have never really liked soup, even when I was a child I didn't like soup but, as I've gotten older and I've learned more about cooking and food in general, I've discovered that it's less that I don't like soup, and more that I like soup at specific times. For example, Midamar is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As you can imagine, it gets quite cold here in the winter and we often have a fair amount of snow that needs to be taken care of from the driveways and sidewalks. You're outside in below freezing temperatures for 30-40 minutes, snow blowing in your face from the wind; even with coats, hats, and gloves you get chilled to the bone! That is the perfect moment for this soup. 

All the hearty vegetables give you some energy and nutrients to restore you after hard work. The hot and steamy broth warms your face as you go for each bite. The meatballs give that meaty texture that helps finish out the whole meal and fill you up. That is the perfect condition for this soup. But what if you don't live in a place where it gets really cold? Is soup still a viable option? Of course it is!

Let's say it's a hot summer day and you go for hike for an hour or so. You get home, you're thirsty, you're hungry, you need something to revitalize you from your hot day of outdoor exploration! Boom, this soup. You get the veggies to help fill you and give you the nutrients you need, you get the broth to give you some hydration, you get the meatballs for some protein. You get everything you need!

However, or whenever, you decide to enjoy this soup, it's a delicious meal! But that's it for me this time, be sure to check out our other awesome recipes and let us know what other recipes you'd like to see by sending us an email at customerservice@midamar.com or message us on facebook, instagram or YouTube!