About recipe

Every bite of this heartwarming soup is full of savory flavor and nourishing veggies. It features meatballs and leafy green vegetables—typically spinach, escarole, or kale. Most leafy greens are high in iron, but the iron content in the meatball boosts the bioavailability of dietary iron. Other nutritional benefits:

• Spinach is a rich source of vitamins C, E, and A.
• Eating your greens in soup gives you a nutritional bonus because the vitamin and mineral content is retained in the liquid.
• To cut back on saturated fat, we replaced the traditional beef and pork with ground turkey. Turkey meatballs are a hearty and filling choice. They help provide a whopping 24 grams of protein per serving to keep your body strong.

Ingredients (serves 6)

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup Matzo meal or breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup onion, finely minced
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning

Soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 6 cups unsalted stock or broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup spinach, shredded
• 1/4 cup pastina pasta

Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients for meatballs and shape into tiny meatballs using a teaspoon. Set aside.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a large cooking pot. Add celery and carrot. Cook briefly.
3. Add stock (or broth), salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. When boiling, gently add meatballs and stir to keep them from sticking together. Reduce heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Add pasta and spinach. Cook until pasta is cooked. Serve immediately!