Dehydrated vegetables are great to have around since they have a long shelf life and can be used for dozens of recipes, eliminating the need for a trip to the supermarket. This delicious Meatball, Vegetable, & Bean Soup makes a great dinner for a cold night; the ingredients are simply mixed in a slow cooker and left all day on low. During the last hour or so, meatballs from the Basic Meatball Module, which is hopefully in the freezer (if not, it can be made fairly quickly and used in numerous quick dishes) are stirred in. If meatballs aren’t available (those rubbery textured frozen ones in the grocery store aren’t even real meat, so don’t substitute), canned roast beef, leftover beef, or ground beef from Ground Beef Module can be substituted.

If dehydrated vegetables aren’t available, Meatball, Vegetable, & Bean Soup can be made with fresh or frozen vegetables; it can also be made in a soup pot rather than a slow cooker. Directions are included.

12 Servings
12 cups water
1/2 cup dehydrated onion flakes, or 2 cups finely chopped onions
1/2 cup dehydrated carrot dices, or 2 cups diced carrots
1 cup dehydrated corn, or 3 cups frozen or canned corn
1/4 cup dehydrated cross-cut celery, or 1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup dehydrated red and green peppers, or 1/2 each diced red and green pepper
1 cup dehydrated potato dices, or 3-4 cups diced pared potatoes
2 15 oz. can tomatoes and green chilies
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons granular beef bouillon

32 meatballs from the Meatball Module

1. Mix all ingredients except the meatballs in a large slow cooker.


2. Turn the slow cooker to low, cover, and cook 6-8 hours or until the vegetables are tender.


3. Stir in the meatballs and let cook an additional 15-30 minutes or until they are heated through.


4. Alternately, place the ingredients in a large soup pot.


5. Bring the mixture to a boil; turn down to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, 3-4 hours.


6. Add the meatballs and simmer 15-20 minutes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 348 Calories from Fat 61
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 17% Protein 18% Carb. 65%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 7 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 33 mg
Sodium 396 mg
Total Carbohydrate 57 g
Dietary Fiber 6 g
Sugars 5 g
Protein 15 g

Vitamin A 21% Vitamin C 8% Calcium 0% Iron 10%