chicken meatball minestrone

Bon Appétit calls this a minestrone, which makes you think of beans. Kevin is not into beans in his soup. Turns out, according to Wikipedia, it's the veggies and pasta that make a soup "minestrone." No beans!

I love meatball soup, and this is a great recipe! The parmesan makes it rich, but it still seems light.

Ingredients

1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup panko
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, white part thinly sliced
8 cups broth
1 cup small pasta
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalked celery, chopped
1 cup (packed) baby spinach

4 servings

Directions

Mix the chicken, panko, chives, egg, salt, and pepper. Add half the Parmesan and half the garlic. Mix well. Then form into small 1/2" meatballs.

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Lightly cook the meatballs until golden all over (about 3 minutes). Remove meatballs and set aside.

Add leeks and garlic to the pot. Cook until soft, stirring often (about 3 minutes). Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and carrots. Simmer until the pasta is halfway to al dente (about 5 minutes). Add meatballs and celery. Simmer until pasta is al dente, carrots are tender, and meatballs are cooked through (about 5 minutes).

Add spinach and remaining Parmesan. Stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve.

45 minutes