Homemade Italian Meatballs Soup
Italian Meatball Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds grass fed beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork or more beef
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano divided
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian Parsley divided
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 quarts boxed chicken broth
- 28 ounce San Marzano Tomatoes (can)
- 2 cups kale or spinach
- 1 cup dry orzo optional
Instructions
- Season meat with salt and pepper
- Add remaining ingredients (except greens and orzo )and very loosely, gently mix together. You don't want the meat to be compacted, as that will make the meatballs tough. (Save some parsley for garnishing. Have extra pecorino for topping soup.)
- Form into medium sized balls. You can make these into bite sized meatballs, but I prefer larger meatballs, which are more tender.
- Place foil or parchment paper on baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs for 15 minutes at 375 degrees or until outsides seems browned. Set aside.
- In soup pot, add just enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan. Add can of tomatoes, crushing with your hands. Add in broth. Cook on medium heat until tomato broth is hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use immersion blender to blend the tomatoes to make a cleaner broth.
- Cook orzo al dente according to directions in separate pot minus one minute. You can also use small macaroni. Add to broth to finish cooking.
- Add in meatballs and optional greens.
- You can choose to serve orzo on the side or put into the soup.
- Serve with parmesan or pecorino romano. Garnish with more parsley.
Notes
Milk: You can skip milk. Do not substitute with almond or coconut milk as it will affect the taste. If you do skip milk and are using grass-fed beef, add a few tablespoons olive oil. Another way to add in some fat and flavor is to add in some chopped proscuitto, about a slice per pound.