Need a convivial meal? So give me a kale-lelujah for this meatball, kale and white bean soup with extra parmesan because you can never have too much cheese, can you?
Preparation:
To cook:
Level: Easy
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- FOR THE PESTO:
- ⅓ cups Pine nuts
- 2 cups Basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons Chopped garlic
- ¾ cups Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil, as needed
- FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- 500 grams Ground chicken
- ¼ cups Pesto
- FOR THE SOUP:
- Olive oil, as needed
- 2 Onions, sliced
- 2 Carrots, diced
- 4 rods Celery, diced
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups Quality vegetable sock
- 1 box (Size 15 oz or 425 g) White beans, drained
- 1 Lemon, juice
- 4 cups Kale, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Preparation
For the pesto:
Add the pine nuts, basil, garlic and cheese to a food processor and process until everything is finely chopped. With the food processor running, start adding the olive oil through the feed tube. You only need enough to bind the sauce and give it a gooey consistency. Put aside.
For the meatballs:
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Mix the chicken mince and pesto. Shape into balls the size of a golf course and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
For the soup:
In a saucepan with olive oil, sauté the onions, carrot and celery until softened and the onion becomes translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add broth, beans and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale and season to taste. Cook another 5 minutes.
Ladle into serving bowls, add meatballs, drizzle with pesto and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve the crusty bread on the side.
If you’re making vegetarian dishes, serve with a drizzle of pesto on top and crusty bread on the side.
