Spinach Meatball Soup
A simple twist on a classic Italian meatball soup: this hearty soup recipe features easy-to-make meatballs, vegetables, cannelloni beans, and spinach, simmered in a collagen-rich beef bone broth.
If you have ever made Italian meatball soup before, you know the drill. Meatballs are usually simmered in a herb-infused chicken broth (or sometimes beef stock) with tomato paste. In this recipe, I kept the traditional aspects of the soup, such as using a flavorful broth and adding tomatoes. However, I did things a little differently to save up on time and make it quick.
First of all, instead of spending hours making my own soup base, I found that Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth is a great alternative. Unlike a standard beef broth or stock, the beef bone broth is made from real, 100% grass-fed, and grass-finished bones that we slow-simmer for 20+ hours. It sounds like all the work has already been done for me. In addition to the rich flavor, bone broth has amazing health benefits with high collagen content and amino acids.
If you are in the mood to make your own beef bone broth, here’s the recipe including a video to show you exactly how it’s done.
Second of all, let’s move on to the highlight of this soup – the meatballs. I used only five simple and accessible ingredients and one of them is sun-dried tomato pesto to boost the flavor of the meatballs. So the tomato flavor from this soup comes from biting into the meatball mixture instead of the soup base. Yeah?
Next, form the mixture into small meatballs with your hands and sear the meatballs on all sides in a pan. This doesn’t take long because you don’t have to cook the meatballs thoroughly. We just want a nice sear on the outside.
Once the base and the meatballs are prepared, the last step is to cook them up! Start by sautéing some onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan. When the vegetables are soft, add meatballs, beef bone broth, white beans, and baby spinach. Bring to a boil and simmer until the meatballs are done. Voila! Season with parmesan cheese and here you have a wonderful healthy soup meal for your entire family.
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Spinach Meatball Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
A simple twist on a classic Italian meatball soup: this hearty soup recipe features easy-to-make meatballs, vegetables, cannelloni beans, and spinach, simmered in a collagen-rich beef bone broth.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the soup:Â
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 2 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans
- 4 cups beef bone broth
- 3 cups spinach, firmly packed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Combine meatball ingredients in a large bowl and stir until blended. Use your hands and shape into 1-inch meatballs (about 20-25); wash hands.
- Heat up olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pot. Add meatballs (in batches) and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Turn and brown the meatballs. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté over medium-high heat until the vegetables become soft.
- Stir in beans, beef bone broth, meatballs, and spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reach 160°F. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.
Notes
The nutrition facts are calculated with Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 598
- Sugar: 4.9g
- Sodium: 777mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 5.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 52.5g
- Fiber: 12.3g
- Protein: 48.3g
- Cholesterol: 125.3mg
About the Author
Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and author of the Complete Sous Vide Cookbook. She believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she aims to make meal prep easier than ever and help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.