Spicy Meatball Soup with Beans

This is an updated version of a soup I've been making for my husband for years.  The original version included carrots and celery, as well as diced russet potatoes.  My husband is trying to avoid white carbs (starchy white potatoes, white rice, and white bread) so he asked if I could make a version of this soup without the potatoes.  We added in canned beans in place of the potatoes since beans are high in fiber. I am thinking they might be a little healthier than starchy potatoes. 

Another thing I did to make this soup a bit more healthy is to make the meatballs with some ground turkey and pork sausage as opposed to ground beef and pork sausage.  More importantly, I am baking the meatballs in the oven before adding them to the soup.  In the original recipe, I added the raw meatballs into the soup and cooked them in the simmering broth.  By baking the meatballs before adding them to the soup and allowing the meatballs to drain or render off some of their fat before adding them to the soup, this soup should be lower in fat than the original recipe.

You can see the original recipe HERE.

And here is the updated version... my husband really loves it!

Spicy Meatball Soup with Beans

Spicy Meatball Ingredients:

1/2 pound bulk, ground hot Italian sausage (I used Johnsonville brand)

½ pound lean ground turkey

4 teaspoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs (plain bread crumbs can be substituted)

1 egg

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Soup Ingredients:

1 to 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced (I used a sweet onion)

1 carton beef broth (4 cups / 32 ounces)
2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce size)

1 cup water

1 ½ tsp. dried oregano

1 ½ tsp. dried basil

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. salt (I used kosher salt)

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 can (15.5 ounce) dark red kidney beans

1 can (15.5 ounce) cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine ingredients for meatballs (hands work good for incorporating all ingredients). Line a baking sheet with a brim with aluminum foil and spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Make mini-meatballs (approximately 1/2 tablespoon in size) and place on foil lined baking sheet. The mini-meatballs do not need to be rolled into perfect balls; the important things are (1) making them similar size so they cook evenly and (2) making them easy to eat in one bite.  Bake the mini-meatballs in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender (about 4 or 5 minutes).  Add in the spices listed under soup ingredients (except for the bay leaves) and cook for an additional minute or two, stirring frequently, until the onions are coated with the spices. Add the beef broth, the canned tomatoes, and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce to a simmer until the meatballs are done.

3.  When the meatballs are done, transfer the cooked meatballs to a clean work surface which has been covered with a few layers of paper towels (I spread some paper towels on a cutting board).  Roll the meatballs around a bit to wick away some of the fat which has rendered from the meatballs.  Add the meatballs and the beans to the pot.  Allow the pot of soup to simmer for about 15 minutes.  Remove the bay leaves and enjoy!