Need a little something to warm you up this winter? Try a steaming pot of Zesty White Bean and Meatball Soup. It’s not only warming but super hearty and healthy.
The meatballs take a bit of time to mix, form and pan fry but totally worth the effort. These little gems are made from ground turkey, chorizo and a host of herbs and spices. The chorizo amps them up with flavour, fat and spice. It’s a nice change from using the usual Italian sausage. Once the meatballs are ready, it’s just a matter of tossing everything together in the pot and allowing it to simmer to tender up the veggies and meld the flavours.
For this recipe I cooked my own cannelloni beans but by all means use canned if you’d like. There’s really little difference to pre cooking your own dried beans other than a cost savings. I also chose to use cabbage instead of dark greens, mostly because I love cabbage, cooked, raw, plain or dressed….yes I’m a fan. But also because it adds substance without being too heavy and cabbage is fantastic with tomato. Don’t let the long list of ingredients run you off either. Everything is common and readily available and most of it you probably already have in your house.
I love this Zesty White Bean and Meatballs Soup because it definitely warms you, fills you up and hopefully makes you forget about how cold it actually is outside…..if at least not for the time it takes to enjoy a bowl of soup. Enjoy!
Recipe Source: Â Compelled To Cook
- 1/2 pound chorizo sausage
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup onion finely diced
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp course black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 each bay leaf
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup chopped onion medium dice
- 1 cup chopped celery medium dice
- 1 cup chopped carrots medium dice
- 2 cups chopped cabbage
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cups canned diced tomatoes with juice
- 1/2 tsp course black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans
- In a food processor bowl combine chorizo and garlic, process until chorizo is broken down into tiny chunks. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together egg, onion, oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Stir in ground turkey, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs and chorizo garlic mixture until just combined.
- Form into meatballs using approximately 1 tbsp of mixture per meatball. Once all the meatballs have been formed, heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs in a single layer and pan fry until golden on all sides, about 12 minutes. Scoop out meatballs onto a paper towel lined plate, reserving fat from skillet.
- In a large pot or dutch oven use 1 tbsp of fat from the meatballs and sauté onions and celery over medium heat until starting to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add meatballs, cabbage, diced tomatoes, broth, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Add cannellini beans and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately with crusty bread.
Makes approximately 10 cups of soup.