Meatball Soup
This Meatball Soup is easy to prepare, hearty, and loaded with fresh veggies and flavor. Best of all, the meatballs can be made ahead of time and it freezes nicely.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- ▢ 2 Lb. Ground Beef
- ▢ 2 Handfuls Fresh Spinach
- ▢ 1 Small Onion
- ▢ 3 Cloves Garlic
- ▢ ¾ tsp. Sea Salt
- ▢ ¼ tsp. Ground Pepper
- ▢ 2 tsp. Italian Seasonings
- ▢ 2 Tbsp. Parsley
Soup:
- ▢ 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
- ▢ 1 Small Onion - diced
- ▢ 2 Cloves Garlic - minced
- ▢ 1 Medium Carrot - Peeled and Diced
- ▢ 1 Stalk of Celery - Chopped
- ▢ 2 tsp. Dried Basil
- ▢ 1 tsp. Oregano
- ▢ ¾ tsp. Thyme
- ▢ 1 32 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes
- ▢ 3 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
- ▢ 1 Bay Leaf
- ▢ 32- oz. Low Sodium Beef or Chicken Broth
- ▢ 2 tablespoon Coconut Cream. Place full-fat canned coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, scoop out the coagulated cream. Thai Kitchen is a good brand
- ▢ 1 Medium Zucchini - Chopped into Halves or Quarters
- ▢ 1 tsp. coconut aminos
- ▢ Salt - to taste at least ½ tsp.
- ▢ Pepper - to taste at least ¼ tsp.
Instructions
- For the meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x11 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the spinach, garlic, and onion. Then process until everything is in very small pieces. Add the spinach/onion mixture to a large mixing bowl along with the ground beef, sea salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, parsley, and coconut cream or heavy cream. Mix well.
- Roll into meatballs and place into prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until cooked through.
- For the soup:
- Add the oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven and heat over medium heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Saute until veggies are slightly soft, around 4 minutes.
- Add the basil, oregano, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, chicken or beef broth, and zucchini.
- Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper. Taste soup, if it tastes flat, it needs more salt.
- Add the meatballs to the soup and serve!
Notes
- Each serving is about 2 ladles of soup - approximately 1 heaping cup.
- The soup can be made ahead of time and frozen in individual containers to eat later.
- The meatballs can be pre-made and stored covered in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or frozen up to 3 months.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- The coconut cream is an added ingredient to ensure the meatballs turn out juicy!
- For coconut cream, place full-fat canned coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, scoop out the coagulated cream. I recommend Sprouts, Thai Kitchen, or Native Forest brands. Other brands may not separate as well or leave an aftertaste.