Hearty Veggie Packed Beef Meatball Soup
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course: DIET, DINNER, soup + stew + chili
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 324kcal
Meatballs
- 2 pounds grass-fed gorund beef*
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cauliflower rice
- 1/3 cup cilantro
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 cups beef broth
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1 small cabbage, cut into chunks (8-10 cups)
- 2 zucchini, cut into quarter moons
optional
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 lime, juiced
Meatballs
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, eggs, cauliflower rice, cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregeno Add all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and combine well.
Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into your palms, and roll into 1-2 inch meatballs ( I get about 40 meatballs). Set aside.
Soup
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven, add in onion with a pinch of salt, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add in garlic and tomatoes, oregano, and another pinch of salt and pepper and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Add in broth, bring to a boil and reduce back down to a simmer. Carefully adding meatballs and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Add in carrots, cabbage and zucchini and simmer for 30 minutes or until all the veggies are tender.
Adjust seasonings and finish with fresh lime juice and a big handful of fresh chopped cilantro.
When it comes to meat, grass feed beef is nutritionally superior to conventionally raised beef (plus it's way tastier - and better for the environment!). It has 6x the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids (the healthy fats), it's lower in Omega 6 fatty acids (which are the not-so-healthy fats), and has 3-5x the amount of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). It's also rich in vitamin A & E and has plenty of antioxidants.
The problem is that it can be tricky to find which is why I usually order my meat online (and have it delivered right to my house). Here are a few options if you'd like to consider that option for yourself:
Cotton Cattle Co. - A local New Jersey farm with superior quality in both taste and texture. They deliver to a bunch of states on the east coast (NJ, NY, PA, CT, DE, MA, MD, VT, DC) and are my number one choice if you live locally.
I recently met the farmer (Bryce - great guy!) and was able to snag a discount code for the #CDFam. You can save 10% off all of their products using code: C&D10 at check out.
Butcher Box - I've been using Butcher Box for years. They deliver nationally and offer monthly subscriptions that make it super easy (and convenient) to access grass-fed meats. They are currently offering free ground beef (for life) to any first-time customers.
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1062mg | Potassium: 805mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4373IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg