Delicious and warming on a cold winter's night! I follow the seasonings called for in the recipe but changed up the broth and veggies according to what I had on hand. That's the beauty of soup! I also added Italian seasoning to the meatballs per a suggestion, added some tiny pasta, and shortened the cooking time significantly (to maybe 45 minutes - just until the veggies were soft and the beef was cooked through). Next time I might also add a can of beans for extra fiber and protein. This one is a keeper!

I did not change a thing about this recipe except to add one cup of chicken stock to the cooking liquid. I also added a cup and a half of frozen peas along with the meatballs. The vegetables were not overcooked and the meat was perfectly tasty with the called for seasonings.

I think this is a good starter recipe, but I will definitely make some changes the next time I make it. I really loved all the veggies and seasonings, but found the meatballs to be a little bland. I also adjusted the cooking time/order. I was concerned the veggies would be too soft to cook them for as long as directed, so I combined the broth, tomatoes and seasonings… then added the meatballs… let that cook for approx 45 mins… then added the veggies for another half hour. Thanks, Carolyn!

I gave this 5 stars because my family loved it when I made it last night (I did make a few changes though mostly because I already had an idea for a soup I wanted to make and I was just looking for something similar to see what seasonings were used). Things I did different were that I added an 11.5 oz can of V8 juice, eliminated the potatoes and cabbage and added 3 stalks of celery, a diced up zucchini and about a cup of fresh green beans. I also added a can of cannellini beans and a can of mushrooms. I didn't use the whole peppercorns but used fresh ground black pepper, used dried parsley rather than fresh, and didn't use marjoram or celery seed since I didn't have them. I also added garlic powder and basil. To the meatballs I added Italian seasoning because I was concerned they wouldn't have enough flavor compared to the rest of the soup. This is a very good soup, and you can use whatever veggies you like or have on hand, and I think it would probably turn out good with anything you add. I loved the fact that you cook the meatballs right in the soup making for a one-pot dinner. However, I had a lot of grease, so I think next time I'll make the soup a day ahead of time and then remove the harden grease before reheating the next day. I just had it for lunch, and it's even better the next day!