Italian Wedding Soup

I've been really into soups lately, having found that they are such a great way to stretch out our veggies and meat for a growing family. I also love having leftovers = less time in the kitchen!

Everyone enjoyed it, and my youngest said it made him feel warm and cozy. :o)

Source: The Kitchn

Italian Wedding Soup is highly adaptable; try other greens like kale (as I did in the photo above) or chard, add grated lemon rind to the meatballs and some lemon juice to the broth for brightness, or consider spicing it up with some ground red pepper flakes added with the onions and garlic.

Italian Wedding Soup serves 6 to 8

3/4 pound ground organic meat (chicken, turkey, pork or beef) - I just used a pound of ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried) - I used Garlic & Herb Mrs. Dash
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
1 bunch greens trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces (about 6 lightly packed cups) - I used kale (just the leaves, no stems)

Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of each cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, then form the mixture into 3/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch balls. You should have 20 to 30 meatballs, depending on how large you form them.

In large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add the meatballs in batches, and cook, turning, until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. (If they are still a bit pink in the middle, don't worry, they will continue to cook in the broth.) Set them aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

In a 4 to 6 quart soup pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onions are tender and garlic is soft, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the greens, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 eggs and remaining cheeses in small bowl and stir with a fork to blend. Slow pour the egg mixture into hot soup, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer just until egg bits are set, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, maybe even a squirt of lemon juice, and serve immediately in a low bowl if possible so the meatballs are visible.

To re-heat, simmer gently over low heat.

Kale with Apples and Onions

This recipe is even better topped with some crumbled bacon. :o)

Source: Paleo Parents

Image Source: CSA Virgin

Ingredients

2 Tbsp lard (or bacon grease, or preferred cooking oil)
1 onion, diced
1 apple, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches kale, sliced (large stalk and thick veins removed)
1/4 C apple juice
1/4 C beef stock (we had chicken stock on hand)

Crumbled bacon, if desired

Instructions

1. Melt lard over medium-high heat in a large frying pan with a lid
2. Add the onion, apple, and garlic and saute until soft, ♥ stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes
3. Add kale and toss quickly until all leaves are coated
4. Pour in juice and stock, reduce heat to medium-low and cover
5. Simmer covered for 10 minutes until kale has softened
6. Add crumbled bacon before serving, if desired.

Serves 4-6, or 2 if they’re our boys.

Kale Chips

Ok so I always thought these sounded gross, but I had kale in my CSA box that I needed to use so I decided to give these a try. I was expecting tough and chewy, but instead was pleasantly surprised by light and crispy!

Source: Gluten Free for Good

Ingredients

• 1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt, for sprinkling  (other fun add-ins that I tried were sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, fresh ground pepper, and some Garlic and Herb Mrs. Dash) yum!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt (and any other fixings). Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food.

Sausage and Kale Soup

I also like to add a little half-and-half or heavy whipping cream before serving, for a little extra creaminess. :o)

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 5 waxy potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bunch kale (12 ounces), stemmed and shredded
• 12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, cut into 1/2-inch half moons

Directions

1. In a large pot (6 to 8 quarts), heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until soft, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook unti fragrant, 1 minute. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. In a blender, puree half the soup. Return to pot; add kale and sausage. Simmer until kale is wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.