Source: dLife

A hearty, Sicilian soup with real meatballs and orzo.

Servings

Soup
14.5 oz canned unsalted diced tomatoes , undrained (or good tomato sauce)
2 medium zucchini , diced
6 oz fresh spinach leaves , chopped
4 medium carrots , peeled and chopped
0.5 cup orzo pasta (whole grain)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 medium onions , chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano , chopped
1 tsp grapeseed oil
1 tbsp fresh basil , chopped
6 cup low sodium beef broth, canned , warmed

Meatballs
1 lb lean ground beef (10% fat)
1 eggs (large)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp fresh oregano , choppped
2 tsp fresh basil , chopped
1 pinch salt and pepper (to taste)
0.25 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

Soup
1 In large stock pot, heat oil over medium high. Add garlic, onion, and carrots. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes
2 In blender, puree undrained tomatoes until smooth. For coarser texture, place tomatoes in bowl and mash by hand with potato masher.
3 Add tomatoes, beef stock, and Italian seasoning to stock pot. Stir. Cover and bring to boil.
4 Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes until the carrots begin to soften.
5 Turn off heat and let rest, covered.
6 Make meatballs as directed in Part 2.
7 Bring soup back to gentle boil. Add meatballs. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
8 Add orzo. Increase the heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is al dente.
9 Add zucchini. Cook 3 minutes until zucchini is tender and orzo is done.
10 Add spinach. Cook 1 minute until spinach wilts. Turn heat off. Allow soup to rest 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Meatballs
1 In large bowl, combine beef, parsley, Italian seasoning, black pepper, eggs, and bread crumbs. Mix well.
2 Mold into 35, 1” diameter, meatballs. Set aside.

If whole grain bread crumbs are not available they can be homemade by toasting one slice of bread, then grinding the cooled toasted bread in a food processor. One slice of bread yields about 1/3 cup of bread crumbs.