Meatball Soup with Escarole and Orzo

 I must pass along this recipe because it is truly one of a kind! Not only is it healthy (about 280 calories per serving and 22 grams of protein per serving!!) but its divine and my house smells like Olive Garden. The home-made meatballs have my mouth watering....I'm excited to see what the mint adds to the flavor of them! If you try it out, please let me know what you think ~ this will definitely be one of our family favorites this season!

(this is how to clean and slice a leek ~ I've never used them before and this video made me feel kind of like an idiot when I realized how easy it was. But when Adam and I looked at eachother and asked how to use it...I knew we were in trouble!)

and this is escarole.....I'd never seen it before and Adam, the produce guy, always thought this was green leaf lettuce! who knew!?

 

 

Meatballs:

1 pound 95 percent lean ground beef

1 egg
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Soup:


2 teaspoons olive oil
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
3 cans (14.5 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 small head escarole, chopped (about 6 cups)
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce


Directions


1. Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, bread crumbs, mint, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt and black pepper. Stir to mix well. Using your hands or a small scoop, shape the mixture into about 36 meatballs using about 1 heaping tablespoon for each.

2. Soup: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and celery and cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
3. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and escarole and bring to a boil. Stir in the orzo and return to a boil. Carefully drop in the meatballs and return to a boil.


4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook about 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender and the meatballs are cooked through. Stir in lemon juice and hot pepper sauce