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Mini-Meatball Soup with Orzo. A healthier take on spaghetti and meatballs...perfect for lunchboxes! via @DashOfEvans
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Meatball Soup with Orzo
This soup is a take on the classic comfort food Spaghetti & Meatballs. Orzo is actually a pasta, not rice! On a cooler day, this is a perfect dinner and it’s actually quite healthy, too. YUM!
Servings: 6 -8 servings
Ingredients
Meatballs:
  • 1.25 lbs ground turkey
  • ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1 T Italian Seasoning
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup sweet peppers , Pero Farms Mini Sweet Peppers are perfect!
  • ½ cup onion
  • 1 carrot , peeled, like Earthbound Farm Organic
  • 2 cloves of garlic
Soup:
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup onion , diced
  • ½ cup carrot , chopped
  • 1 small zucchini cut in half moons
  • 3 T tomato paste
  • 2 tea Italian seasoning
  • Salt & Pepper , to taste
  • 1 can white beans , rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups of baby kale , like Earthbound Farm Organic baby kale
  • Toppers: grated Parmesan cheese.
Instructions
  1. First, meatballs. In a chopper, add onion, carrot, garlic and green pepper. Pulse to chop finely. In a small ramekin or bowl, add Italian seasoning and olive oil. Stir.
  2. In a large bowl, add turkey, breadcrumbs and egg. Mix with hands to combine. Add chopped veggies and Italian seasoning mixture. Combine, adding more bread crumbs if necessary.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Using a teaspoon, make tiny meatballs rolling in hand before placing in hand. Brown meatballs on both sides, placing on a plate after cooked. Repeat until all are cooked. Set meatballs aside until later.
  4. Heat a soup pot over medium high heat and add olive oil. Add onion, carrot and zucchini. Cook, stirring frequently until onion becomes translucent.
  5. Stir in tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Add white beans and stir.
  6. Slowly pour in chicken stock and meatballs. Add orzo. Allow to bubble for 10-12 minutes on medium-low heat. Add kale and bubble for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  7. To serve, top with extra Parmesan.
Recipe Notes

Notes:
To save time, make meatballs earlier. I love to have my kids help me roll them as a fun family activity. While they do take a bit of time to make, the flavor is worth it!

If you have a smaller family, cook orzo on side and pour soup over in bowl. This ensures leftovers don’t get too thick.