This chicken meatball soup is full of flavor and works well for lunch, dinner, or as a meal prep idea. Enjoy it on its own or with a side of crusty Italian bread.
Prep Time: 10 minutes- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 5 servings 1x
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 egg
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup small pasta, such as orzo, stelline, or ditalini
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and egg. Using your hands or a fork, gently mix until everything is well incorporated.
- Roll the chicken mixture into 1-tablespoon balls, placing them onto the baking sheet once formed, until all of the chicken is used and you have about 40 mini meatballs.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F and golden brown.
- While the meatballs are cooking, warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and salt and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and water and bring to a boil. Then add pasta and cook as per package directions until al dente. If the pasta is cooked before the meatballs are ready, reduce the heat to a simmer.
- When the meatballs are cooked, add the meatballs and spinach to the pot, giving everything a good stir, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- The soup can be served immediately with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese or cool and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Fresh Herbs: Use 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley.
To Use Leftover Pasta: Use 2 cups of a cooked small pasta shape. Skip adding the pasta in step #7 and add it to the pot with the meatballs in step #8.
To Use Frozen Spinach: Use 1/2 cup of frozen spinach. Allow it to thaw completely, then press out all of the water, and add to it soup as per step #8.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 391 calories
- Sugar: 6 grams
- Fat: 17 grams
- Carbohydrates: 34 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 26 grams