Servings: 6 servings
Sicilian Meatball Soup with Cabbage
Sicilian Meatball Soup with vegetables and cabbage is a hearty, delicious and comforting one-pot meal the whole family will love!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground beef*
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp raisins optional
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour**
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
For the Soup:
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 quart chicken beef or vegetable broth
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup full-bodied red wine such as Cabernet or Syrah optional
- Rind of parmesan cheese optional
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- ½ head of cabbage core removed and discarded, sliced (OR 1 cup of uncooked macaroni/shell pasta)
- 1 zucchini squash chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Meatballs:
- Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a large mixing bowl. Stir everything together well until all of the ingredients are combined. Note: I use my hands to squish everything together. If you own a stand mixer, you can also mix the meat in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Form balls out of the meat mixture.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of avocado oil or olive oil. Once the skillet is hot, carefully place the meatballs on the hot surface and brown on two sides for 2 to 3 minutes each.
- While the meatballs are cooking, start the soup in a separate pot.
Make the Soup:
- Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to a large stock pot (I use my Dutch oven) with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil or olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
- Allow the vegetables to cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes (note: to speed up this process, sprinkle the vegetables with salt, stir well and cover the pot for a couple of minutes).
- Transfer the browned meat balls to the pot.
- Add in the remaining ingredients except for the zucchini and cabbage, and give everything a gentle stir. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a full boil.
- Once the soup reaches a boil, add the chopped zucchini and cabbage. Stir everything together, getting the cabbage to sink into the soup as best as possible.
- Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low (or a gentle simmer). Cook, covered for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Serve soup in big bowls with rustic crusty bread, and enjoy!
Notes
*Use ground turkey, ground elk, or Italian sausage if you prefer.
**Or gluten-free breadcrumbs or regular bread crumbs.
Traditionally, Sicilian Meatball Soup has some form of pasta, either macaroni or shell pasta. If desired, add dry pasta to the soup and cook until al dente or replace the cabbage with pasta.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 6), Calories: 462kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 1173mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 10g