Where is the beef?

Like most men, my husband is a big meat eater.  I on the other hand am not.  Even as a kid I remember picking at the meat on my plate and to this day, it is normally what I take the smallest portion of at meals.  On most nights, I’m the resident chef in my house, so this often makes cooking a challenge trying to please everyone at my table.  Did I mention the five year old who is a picky eater on top of it all?

Growing up my mom made homemade soup all the time.  It was a Sunday evening staple at our house.  She’d whip up different recipes and always serve it with a warm loaf of homemade bread.  As the cool air settled in this past winter, I decided that I was going to try and carry on the tradition in my house that my mom started.

So far this winter I’ve experimented with lots of recipes that I found through Meijer Mealbox or in cooking magazines my mom passes along to me.  Although I tend to gravitate towards the veggie based soups, I’ve been looking to expand my recipe box with more options to satisfy my husband’s hearty appetite.  Last week I came across a recipe for Italian Wedding Soup in Food Network Magazine.  What I love it that it’s the best of both worlds – a veggie soup with a healthier twist on the classic meatballs it contains.

I gave it a whirl last night and it was simple to make and given two thumbs up from the veggie lover, picky eater and meat lover in my house.

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
3 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
1/2 pound ground pork
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
3/4 cup orzo
8 ounces baby spinach (about 8 cups)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add half of the garlic and 1 teaspoon each Worcestershire sauce and sage; cook 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and  3 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the pork, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, the remaining garlic and the remaining 1 teaspoon each Worcestershire sauce and sage in a bowl. Form into 1-inch meatballs.

Increase the heat to medium high and bring the soup to a boil. Stir in the orzo and cook 6 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook until they are firm and float to the top, about 4 more minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 more minute. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with Parmesan.

Per serving: Calories 350; Fat 18 g (Saturated 6 g); Cholesterol 62 mg; Sodium 304 mg; Carbohydrate 29 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 19 g