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Is that a ball in my soup, or are you just happy to see me?

Posted by saedigh at 08:36 PM on October 07, 2009

It's getting to look a lot like fall around here, so tonight I decided that I would take advantage of a local sale on kale and create a hearty bowl of meatball soup for dinner. Making the meatballs took about 15 minutes. Cooking the soup took another 30. So what if I'm not Rachael Ray? It's still not that long, and meatballs can be prepared ahead of time if so desired.

Turkey Meatball Soup with Kale

Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
5 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp pine nuts, crushed (optional)
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1. Knead together all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Form into balls approximately 1.5 inches in diameter (slightly smaller than a golf ball; 1 lb of meat yielded 24 balls for us tonight).
3. Refrigerate until needed.

Soup
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
8 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium variety
1 can white kidney beans, rinsed well and drained (I like legumes, but pasta could be substituted)
1 bunch fresh kale, washed, rinsed, and roughly chopped into bitesized pieces
Meatballs

1. Over medium heat, cook onion, garlic, carrot, chili flakes, and oregano until vegetables are soft.
2. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
3. Carefully add meatballs, bring back to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add beans (or pasta) and kale. Bring back to a boil, and continue to simmer until meatballs are cooked through and kale is thoroughly wilted.

A note on Kale
Kale describes a number of leafy green vegetables popular in many European and Asian dishes. The Russian variety was introduced to Canada in the 19th century. It is a member of the Brassica species, and therefore related to other greens such as broccoli, cabbage, and collard greens. It is extremely high in vitamins A, C, K, and beta-carotene. It also contains sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have anti-cancer properties. And, it's fairly cheap this time of year.

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