Italian Wedding Soup

You can feel good about this light but filling soup–almost no fat and, for those constantly on the lookout for low-carb entrées here, no pasta. There was a minor uprising in the house when I didn’t put pasta in, but I made up for it by serving bread rolls on the side. This soup is typically made with escarole, but since I couldn’t find escarole when I was developing the recipe, I thought readers might have difficulty too. Trust me, spinach makes a standout substitute. The zucchini is really not typical, but I’m always looking for more vegetables in my soups. It just seems to work in this. The other bonus is that this soup comes together so quickly. The most prep time is spent rolling the little meatballs. Enjoy this as part of your healthiest New Year ever.

Prep Time: About 15 minutes
Cook Time: About 20 minutes
Serves 8

1 pound Laura’s Lean Beef 96% Lean Ground Sirloin

2 ounces grated Parmesan plus extra for garnish

4 eggs

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

12 cups chicken stock

10 ounces frozen cut leaf spinach

1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise then sliced

1. Mix beef with 1 ounce grated Parmesan and one egg. Add parsley, chopped onion and garlic. Roll mixture into 32 small meatballs. Place on plate and place in refrigerator.

2. Place chicken stock into large stockpot over high heat. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Remove meatballs from refrigerator and gently add to simmering broth. Simmer about 8 minutes. Add spinach and zucchini and let broth come back to simmer.

3. Mix remaining ounce of Parmesan with 3 eggs. Combine well. Start gently stirring soup and drizzle egg/cheese mixture into hot soup. Keep stirring so egg forms long strands in stock.

4. Serve immediately, making sure each portion has 4 meatballs and about 2 cups soups. Garnish each with 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories 275; Calories from Fat 96 (34% from Fat); Fat 11g; Saturated Fat 4g; Cholesterol 150mg; Sodium 710mg; Carbohydrate 16g; Fiber 1g; Protein 28g; Vitamin A 86%; Vitamin C 13%; Calcium 14%; Iron 19%