Description
This Italian Wedding Soup combines ground chicken, fresh herbs, and hearty vegetables for a flavorful, wholesome meal. Quick to prepare, it’s perfect for a cozy dinner any night of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey 7-10% fat
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅓ cup freshly grated pecorino
- parmesan or 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoon parsley chopped
- 3 tablespoon basil chopped
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano or italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon flaky salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more to spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced 70g / 2.5oz
- 2 large carrots diced 250g / 8.8oz
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon flaky salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup giant couscous 200g / 7oz
- 4 cups fresh kale or spinach chopped 120g / 4.2oz
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine ground chicken or turkey with egg, garlic powder, onion powder, cheese or nutritional yeast, parsley, basil, oregano, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
- Rub your hands with olive oil to prevent sticking and roll the mixture into 12-15 meatballs.
- Place them on a baking tray or in an air fryer basket and spray lightly with olive oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (180°C fan) or air fry at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
- While the meatballs cook, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion and carrots until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the broth, add bay leaf and couscous, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 7 minutes until the couscous is just undercooked.
- Gently add the cooked meatballs to the pot and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Stir in kale or spinach and cook another 3 minutes until wilted. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and adjust seasoning if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with extra cheese, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
For added flavor, use freshly grated cheese instead of nutritional yeast.
If you prefer a thicker soup, reduce the amount of broth or increase the couscous.
Feel free to customize with your choice of greens or seasonal vegetables.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 110mg