Today’s guest blog post comes from Ashleigh of Dash of Evans. Visit dashofevans.com for family, food and fun…on a budget!

In our house, making meatballs is a family event. Yes, it’s messy and it takes a bit longer, but it’s something fun we can do on a weekend afternoon. On the speaker, we put some Motown music on and have a blast! I love to double or triple the batch to freeze for other meals. These turkey meatballs are delish and filled with veggies.

This soup is a take on the classic comfort food Spaghetti & Meatballs. Orzo is a pasta, not rice! On a cooler day, this is a perfect dinner and it’s actually quite healthy, too. YUM!

Meatball & Orzo Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

Meatballs

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 carrot, peeled
  • ½ green pepper
  • ½ onion
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1½ lbs. lean ground turkey
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Soup

  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small zucchini, cut in half moons
  • ¼ cup diced onion
  • ½ cup chopped carrot
  • 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 (14 oz.) can white beans, drained, rinsed
  • 2 qts. low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 2 cups baby kale

Directions:

  1. Add garlic, carrot, onion and green pepper to food processor. Pulse to finely chop.
  2. Mix Italian seasoning and oil in small bowl.
  3. Combine turkey, egg, breadcrumbs and cheese in large bowl. Add chopped veggies and Italian seasoning mixture, and mix well.
  4. Heat large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Using a teaspoon, make tiny meatballs rolling in hand before placing in skillet. Brown meatballs on both sides and remove from skillet. Set aside.
  5. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, onion and carrot, and cook, stirring frequently, 5-7 minutes, or until onion becomes translucent. Add tomato paste and Italian seasoning, and stir. Add white beans and stir. Add stock, orzo and meatballs. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10-12 minutes.  Add kale and simmer 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  6. To serve, top with extra parmesan.

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 the side and pour soup over into the bowl. This ensures leftovers don’t get too thick.