“Heart-y” Healthy Soup

This soup is not only tasty and healthy, it also has heart or more accurately, hearts….carrot hearts!This could be a perfect lunch on Valentine’s Day or any day or night for that matter. It is simple and delicious and really easy and quick to make. It is a great way to use up any left over rice too in the meatballs.

Turkey Meatball Soup

For the meatballs:
1 20 oz pkg. of ground turkey
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Add all ingredients together in a bowl and mix together using your hands until just combined. Don’t over mix as this will make the meatballs tough. Pinch off pieces of meat and roll in the palms of your hands to make meatballs about the size of walnuts.

In a large frying pan add a couple tablespoons of olive oil or rice bran oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Heat over medium high heat until bubbling and then add meatballs right away. Brown meatballs on all sides using a spoon to turn them on all sides. Once thoroughly browned, turn off heat until ready to add to the soup.

For the heart shaped carrots:

2-3 whole carrots
Peel the carrots and remove both ends. Using your sharpest paring knife, make a cut the length of the carrot and then make a second cut so as to remove a ‘V” shape from the carrot.  Using a vegetable  peeler, round the tops of the “V” and then peel away the sides of the bottom of the carrot to create the bottom of the heart.  Cut into slices.

For the soup:

6 cups chicken or turkey stock
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
1 onion coarsely chopped
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 can of great northern beans or white beans
1 bunch cilantro chopped
2-3 carrots cut into heart shape and then sliced
Meatballs

Put the onion and carrots in the stock along with the cumin and oregano and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat for about 3-4 minutes. Add cabbage and beans and then add the meatballs. Lower heat and simmer. Add the cilantro just before serving.

Try this “hearty” soup when you want to warm the hearts…and the tummies….of those you love 🙂