Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb frozen Italian meatballs (precooked)
- 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized into noodles
- 24 oz marinara sauce (low sugar preferred)
- 4 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil and shredded Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Step 1: Preparation
Start by dicing your yellow onion and mincing the garlic cloves. If you haven’t bought pre-spiralized zucchini, use a spiralizer to create your zoodles. Place the zucchini noodles in a separate bowl and set them aside in the refrigerator; you do not want to add these to the slow cooker yet, as they will become too mushy if cooked for several hours. - Step 2: Slow Cooking the Base
Place the frozen meatballs, diced onion, minced garlic, marinara sauce, and broth into the slow cooker basin. Stir in the oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper until everything is well combined. Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Set the temperature to “Low” and cook for 4 to 5 hours, or set it to “High” for 2 to 3 hours. The goal is to ensure the meatballs are heated through and the onions are soft and translucent. - Step 3: Integrating Zoodles and Plating
About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve, stir the fresh zucchini noodles into the hot soup. The residual heat from the broth will soften the zoodles perfectly without making them watery. Once the zoodles are slightly tender, ladle the soup into deep bowls, ensuring everyone gets plenty of meatballs. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
- Cook Time: 4 hours 15 minutes