Warming Meatball and Kale/Escarole Soup

I tore this recipe out Fitness magazine last October, and finally made it last week! Also, when I made the meatballs, they completely stuck to the bottom of my pan, so my soup had hunks and crumbles of meatball, rather than nicely formed balls, but the flavor was still great, and it was a good way to eat some healthy vegetables! If I made it again, I'd cook the meatballs in a non-stick pan, even though you are supposed to cook them in the pot that everything else will eventually be added to.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb./250g lean ground beef/beef mince

6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

6 Tbsp plain bread crumbs

1/4 cup (60ml) finely chopped parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

2 carrots, peeled and cut into coins

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

8 cups packed shredded kale or escarole,

rinsed and drained

3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth

(approx. 1250 ml chicken broth)

1. Combine beef, 4 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and eggs in a large bowl. Form into 24 meatballs, using about 1 level tablespoon for each.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a stockpot (or separate non-stick frying pan) over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cook on each side until nicely browned and transfer to a plate.

3. If you used a separate frying pan for the meat, now add remaining tablespoon of oil to your stockpot along with the onions, carrots and garlic. Cook 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in kale or escarole; cook 3-4 minutes.

4. Add meatballs and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve soup with remaining Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Nutrition per serving: 205 calories; 15 g protein; 15 g carbohydrates; 10 g fat (3 g saturated); 4 g fiber.