recipe remix

ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP

FROM MELISSA JOULWAN OF WELL FED

This soup serves up all the bold, familiar tastes of pizza, without the food hangover! And don’t be put off by the longish ingredients list. When those herbs and spices come together with tomatoes, you’ve got instant pizza flavor. But thanks to the Swiss chard, every warm, comforting bowl is also packed with nutrition. Feel free to swap in other leafy greens; spinach, escarole, kale, and collard greens are all good choices.

SERVES 5

PREP: 20 minutes COOK: 25 minutes TOTAL: 45 minutes

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon Whole30-compliant tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• ½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 can (28 ounces) or 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) Whole30-compliant fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups Chicken Bone Broth (see recipe), Whole30-compliant chicken broth, or pork broth
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and leaves cut into 1-inch strips (see Tip)
• 1 portion Classic Pork Meatballs (see recipe; about 28 meatballs)
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, minced

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, minced garlic, oregano, dried basil, parsley, salt, granulated garlic, onion powder, and red pepper flakes to the pot. Cook until the tomato paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, broth, chard, and meatballs to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the soup is heated through and the chard is wilted and just tender, about 10 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with fresh basil and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

TIP To prepare chard for cooking, swish the leaves in several changes of cool water to remove sand and grit; shake to lightly dry. Remove and discard the center ribs and then slice the leaves.