Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs is a hybrid of two comforting soups - minestrone and Italian wedding soup. With a rich, parmesan-infused broth, tons of veggies, whole-wheat orzo, and the most tender, flavorful chicken meatballs, this is a healthy winter soup worth making over and over again.
4largegarlic cloves, grated on a microplane and divided (2 for the broth, 2 for the meatballs)
4cupslow-sodium chicken stock
14ozcan stewed tomatoes (in basil, onion and garlic)
1mediumparmesan cheese rind
1/2cupwhole-wheat orzo
1- 14.5ozcan white beans, rinsed, drained
1lbground lean chicken
1/4cupwhole-wheat breadcrumbs
1largeegg
1/4cupgrated parmesan cheese
1/2tspdried basil
pepper to taste
3cupsbaby spinach
Instructions
Heat a large pot to a medium heat. Add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the 1/2 cup diced onion, carrot, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sweat until until onion is translucent and veggies are starting to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add 2 grated cloves of garlic, cook another 30 seconds.
Add in chicken stock, tomatoes, parmesan cheese rind, remaining salt, and orzo. Use a fork to gently smash about 1/2 the beans, and then add it to the soup. This will help thicken the soup. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
While the soup simmers, make the meatballs. Add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan cheese, basil, remaining garlic, remaining grated onion and a pinch of pepper to a medium bowl. Mix just until it's combined.
Use a small ice cream or cookie dough scoop to form chicken into about 1-inch meatballs. Gently drop the meatballs in the simmering soup. Continue to simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the orzo is also cooked, about 10 minutes.
Add spinach, stir until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.