Slow Cooker Italian Meatball Soup recipe - from the Good and Simple Eats Family Cookbook

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic, divided
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup parsley, divided
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
• 3 ribs celery with leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained and crushed
• 1 can (14.5 ounce) stewed tomatoes, crushed
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 head escarole or curly endive, cleaned and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup small pasta such as elbow, shell or ditalini, cooked and drained