Ingredients
Scale
Loaded Italian Meatballs:
1 lb. ground turkey or beef
2 cloves garlic; minced
1/4 cup green onions, sliced very thin
1/4 cup red bell pepper; diced very small
1 1/2 cups leafy greens (I use spinach) chopped finely
1 egg
1/2 cup almond flour or panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp sea salt
Soup:
1 tbsp olive or oil
1 small onion, diced
2 small carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic
juice of half a lemon
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups spinach, chopped
sea salt to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 cup orzo (optional)
parsley to top
Instructions
- To Prepare Meatballs: Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Grease a nonstick baking sheet or line with parchment. Form mixture into 16-20 balls, depending on size desired. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
- Heat olive oil in soup pot to medium. Add carrots, celery and onion, season lightly and cook until onions are celery are translucent and carrots are starting to soften.
- Add garlic and stir to just cook. Stir in broth.
- Bring broth to a rolling simmer, add meatballs and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook orzo according to package directions.
- Stir in dark leafy greens and lemon juice. Let simmer for another couple of minutes. Stir in parmesan and orzo (if using) and season to taste.