Italian meatball soup with sweet potatoes and escarole

Gluten-Free Friendly, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Paleo, Protein Plus

2 Servings, 680 Calories/Serving

20 Minutes

In Italy, meatballs are almost never served on pasta. Known as polpette, they are much more often served en brodo, Italian for "in broth." Here, sweetly bitter escarole and fresh dill play off the warming spices seasoning the meat. The soup comes together quickly, but tastes like it simmered for hours.

In your bag

1 bag serves 2 (2 bags serve 4)

Sunbasket is proud to source the organic ingredients indicated below. On the rare occasion we are unable to meet our organic promise, we'll put a note in your bag.

¾ pound sweet potatoes
¼ pound carrots
3 scallions
Peeled fresh garlic
1 cup chicken stock
10 ounces ground turkey
1 pasture-raised organic egg
Meatball spice blend (nutmeg - coriander - cinnamon)
¼ cup almond meal
½ pound escarole
Fresh dill

Nutrition per serving

Calories 680, Total Fat 35g (45% DV), Sat. Fat 6g (30% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholest. 190mg (63% DV), Sodium 590mg (26% DV), Total Carb. 53g (19% DV), Fiber 14g (50% DV), Protein 42g
Contains: Eggs, Tree Nuts

Instructions

2-serving instructions (4-serving modifications in red)

Wash produce before use

Prep the soup ingredients

Scrub or peel the sweet potatoes and carrots and trim off the ends; cut the potatoes and carrots in half lengthwise, then crosswise into ¼-inch-thick half-moons.
Trim the root ends from the scallions; finely chop the white and green parts, reserving the white parts for the soup and the green parts for the meatballs.
Finely chop, press, or grate enough garlic to measure 1½ teaspoons.

Start the soup

In a large sauce pot over medium-high heat, warm 1 to 2 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, and white parts of the scallions. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and start to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the flavors have developed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
While the soup cooks, prepare the meatballs.

Make the meatballs

Cut a small corner from the turkey packaging; drain off any excess liquid. Transfer to a plate and pat dry with a paper towel.

In a medium bowl, using a whisk or fork, blend the egg with the meatball spice blend. Add the turkey, green parts of the scallions, and almond meal, and season with salt and pepper. Using wet hands, mix until well combined, then form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 to 2 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add the meatballs and cook, turning once, until well browned but not yet cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side (they will finish cooking in the soup).
While the meatballs cook, prep the escarole.

Prep the last ingredients; finish the soup

Trim the root end from the escarole; coarsely chop the escarole.
Coarsely chop the dill.

Add the turkey meatballs and escarole to the soup. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the dill, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve

Transfer the soup to individual bowls and serve.

Chef’s Tip To get dinner on the table as quickly as possible, in Step 1, don’t bother peeling the potatoes or carrots (the peel has much of the flavor and nutrition, anyways). Be sure to slice the vegetables thinly, then start cooking the potatoes and carrots while you prep the garlic.

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