Back to my roots

Growing up in a Persian household meant soup & salad for dinner almost every night and I LOVED it. Nothing makes me feel more at home or more in my element than a good soup, even when it’s 100 degrees outside. As I have continued to explore my love for cooking, soups have become more of a once a week thing, unfortunately. I want to change that by making a little soup of the week each week. I am the type of person to enjoy soup for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is so tasty, nutritious, and such a great source of vegetables. Like I always say, when else would I eat an entire bag of spinach? Gosh, soup is just the best.

Getting diagnosed with a chronic illness has also led me towards a journey of focusing on reducing inflammation. Soup is an incredible and tasty helper in this journey. I love to put my soups in mason jars for the week as a type of meal prep! I have also been focusing on having tons of fresh fruits, veggies, etc. on hand as well. Health is wealth and I just love finding new ways to make myself and my family feel good.

Why the brown lentils?

The brown lentils in this soup provide a deep and earthy flavor! The longer you simmer the soup, the better everything blends together into a flavorful broth. Lentils have such an incredible taste!

Ingredients

Soup

½ cup chopped fresh parsley
5 celery stalks, chopped
5 rainbow carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1–2 teaspoons oil (just enough to sauté)
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water (add more for a broth-ier soup)
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
3 cups spinach
1 can brown lentils, drained and rinsed
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Onion powder, to taste
Turmeric, to taste

Meatballs

2 packages ground beef (85% lean / 15% fat)
1 egg
⅓ cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Garlic powder, to taste
Onion powder, to taste
Dash of cumin

For Serving

Brown rice noodles, cooked separately

Instructions

Cook the vegetables
In a large pot over medium heat, add a small amount of oil.
Add the parsley, celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until softened and fragrant.
Make the meatballs
In a bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin.
Mix gently and form into meatballs. Set aside.
Build the soup
Add the chicken broth and water to the cooked vegetables.
Season with chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric. Stir well.
Bring to a boil
Cover and bring the soup to a boil.
Add the meatballs
Once the soup reaches a boil, gently add the meatballs.
Reduce to a steady simmer and cover.
Add lentils & spinach
After the meatballs have cooked for a bit, add the lentils and spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts.
Simmer
Cover and simmer for 1–2 hours, stirring occasionally, to deepen the flavor of the broth.
Cook noodles
While the soup simmers, cook the brown rice noodles according to package instructions.
Serve
Serve the soup over the noodles (add noodles to bowls so they don’t soak up all the broth).

A Recipe by Madeline May

Anti-Inflammatory Loaded Vegetable & Meatball Soup

Soup • Meal Prep • Comfort Food

Prep

25 mins

Cook

1–2 hours

Total

2 hrs+

Yield

6–8 servings

Instructions

Cook the vegetables Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the parsley, celery, carrots, and onion, then cook until softened and fragrant.
Make the meatballs Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl, mix gently, and roll into meatballs.
Build the broth Pour in the chicken broth and water. Stir in the chicken bouillon and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric.
Simmer Bring the soup to a boil, then gently add the meatballs. Reduce to a steady simmer and cover.
Finish the soup Stir in the lentils and spinach until the spinach wilts. Continue simmering for 1–2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the noodles Cook the brown rice noodles according to the package directions.
Serve Add noodles to individual bowls and ladle the soup over the top.