Anti-inflammatory Loaded Vegetable & Meatball soup

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Bring to a boil
   Cover and bring the soup to a boil.

5. Add the meatballs
   Once the soup reaches a boil, gently add the meatballs.
   Reduce to a steady simmer and cover.

6. Add lentils & spinach
   After the meatballs have cooked for a bit, add the lentils and spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts.

7. Simmer
   Cover and simmer for 1–2 hours, stirring occasionally, to deepen the flavor of the broth.

8. Cook noodles
   While the soup simmers, cook the brown rice noodles according to package instructions.

9. Serve
   Serve the soup over the noodles (add noodles to bowls so they don’t soak up all the broth).

Anti-Inflammatory Loaded Vegetable & Meatball Soup

A cozy, slow-simmered soup packed with vegetables, herby beef meatballs, lentils, and greens. Deeply savory, grounding, and nourishing.

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

1–2 hours

Total Time

2 hrs+

Yield

6–8 servings

Category

Soup

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 5 celery stalks, chopped
• 5 rainbow carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1–2 teaspoons oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups water (more if desired)
• 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

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil. Add the parsley, celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until softened and fragrant.
2. In a bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Mix gently and form into meatballs. Set aside.
3. Add the chicken broth and water to the vegetables. Season with chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric. Stir well.
4. Cover and bring the soup to a boil.
5. Once boiling, gently add the meatballs. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and cover.
6. Add the lentils and spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts.
7. Cover and simmer for 1–2 hours, stirring occasionally, to develop a deeply flavorful broth.
8. While the soup simmers, cook the brown rice noodles according to package instructions.
9. Serve the soup over the noodles, adding noodles to individual bowls so they don’t absorb all the broth.

Note: The lentils deepen the broth and give it a cozy, earthy richness. This soup tastes even better the next day.

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