Introducing Meatball and White Bean Soup with Kale!
This week is unseasonably warm here in Maryland. It's like 55 degrees out. It's crazy!
That's not stopping my winter soup obsession, however. I made my first ever batch of vegetable broth from all my stuffing scraps which I turned into a fabulous pot of Minestrone for Christmas lunch. This year I had a houseful of guests for the holiday. Everyone loved it but it was too hectic to take photos and notes, so I won't be sharing that recipe today.
All my house guests left Thursday and my kitchen is still recovering. Mostly because I've been in a lazy Netflix-binge mode (obsessed with The Witcher and You right now!). However, today I decided to get my butt in gear and use some of the stock I made with our Christmas turkey to make (what I'm calling) Meatball and White Bean Soup with Kale.
It's loosely based on Italian Wedding Soup but I used what I happen to have on hand, Northern beans and kale.
I can't lie, making all the mini meatballs for this soup is a bit labor-intensive but it's totally worth it.
A tiny meatball with veggies and broth made the perfect bite.
I made the soup while the boys figured out Gravitrax, this year's surprise gift from Grandma.
I've already made the soup, photographed it, ate it, stored it and am now writing this post and they are STILL playing with it. So I'd say it was a hit!
So was the soup. I hope you had a great holiday. Enjoy!
Side note: I bought a case of quart-sized mason jars and I'm obsessed. So useful!
Meatball and White Bean Soup with Kale
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 12 cups
Inspired by traditional Italian Wedding Soup, Meatball and White Bean Soup with Kale skips the pasta and uses more common pantry ingredients like beans and kale.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 slices whole wheat bread, torn or cut into tiny cubes
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp dried minced onion
- 1 tbsp parmesan
- pinch of salt and pepper
For the soup
- 1 sweet onoin, chopped
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 8 cups of broth
- 15oz can Northern beans drained and rinsed
- 3-4 leaves of kale, chopped
Instructions
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and make the meatballs by combining the beef, bread, egg, garlic, onion, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Roll into small balls and brown them in the skillet. Set aside.
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat and spray with a bit of non-stick cooking spray. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until they just soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
Add the 8 cups of broth to the pot along with the cooked meatballs and beans. Bring to a light boil, lower to a simmer and add the chopped kale. Simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the kale to wilt.
Serve with grated parmesan and a slice of crusty bread if you have it!
Notes
- I used beef for the meatballs, but turkey would be great too! Especially if you want to cut the fat a little bit.
- I cooked the meatballs in a skillet to get some caramelization. However, you could do them all together in the oven if it makes it easier for you.
- I used homemade turkey stock for this, but chicken of veggie broth would be good too!
Courses Any
Cuisine Italian
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 141 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 5 g | 8% | |
Total Carbohydrates 12 g | 4% | |
Dietary Fiber 3 g | 12% | |
Sugars 2 g | ||
Protein 12 g | 24% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.