Ingredients

• 8 oz. lean ground beef
• 8 oz. ground turkey
• 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs* (from fresh bread, not dried)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano (or 3/4 tsp dried oregano)
• 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (for frying)

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups chopped carrots
• 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
• 5 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup dry acini di pepe or orzo pasta**
• 6 oz fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• Finely shredded parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and turkey. Add the bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix gently with your hands until everything is well incorporated.
2. Roll the mixture into small meatballs, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in size, and arrange them on a large plate.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on 2 or 3 sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and repeat the process with the remaining meatballs. Note: The meatballs won’t be fully cooked at this point; they’ll finish cooking in the soup.

1. While the meatballs are browning, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, and celery, and sauté for 6-8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
2. Pour in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the pasta and meatballs to the soup, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach during the last minute of cooking.
4. Serve hot, and top each bowl with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes:

• For bread crumbs: Use a hearty, rustic bread and process a slice in a food processor to make fine crumbs. You can freeze any extra bread for future use.
• For a more brothy soup: Reduce the pasta to 3/4 cup. Keep in mind that the pasta will absorb more broth as the soup sits, so feel free to add extra broth to adjust the consistency as desired.
• For added flavor, you can simmer a parmesan rind in the broth as the soup cooks.

Nutrition