Hearty meatball soup with kale and beans

Now that the weather is getting a bit cooler we'll be going back to our comforting soup dinners! I love soup and there are so many different recipes that you will always be able to try something new and surprising.

For the cold weather days I tend to cook hearty soups with some sort of beans and green leaves. Adding some meat makes it a complete and satisfying meal and even though my youngest daughter doesn't appreciate it that much, my son, who is 9, loves it! Also, he began to like spicy food which is great - now, I can spice up food a bit more, for us at least! The youngest does like soup, but the lighter ones, like chicken soup or carrot bisque.

I decided to use the Cave Man Craft Eats ground turkey with bacon. I started by making the meatballs, which was pretty simple. I just mixed the minced meat with some panko breadcrumbs and, honestly, I don't use measurements here I just start adding the crumbs little by little and when I can shape little balls with it it's ready. I tend to choose panko over regular bread crumbs because I love the crunchy texture. 
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It works really well with meatloaf too! After having the meat mixed with the crumbs I just added a pinch of garlic powder and about 1/cup of chopped cilantro. Mixed it all over again to incorporate everything and rolled it into small meatballs. 

I had them rest covered, in the fridge, overnight just to make sure that the texture was right on point to cook them and add them to the soup when the time was right. ​​
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For the soup I used the following ingredients:
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• 1/2 package uncured bacon (medium thickness slices)
• 2 onions, peeled and diced
• 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 large carrots
• 2 lb liquid beef stock
• 2 medium zucchinis, washed and diced
• pepper and onion flakes to taste
• 1/3 cup coriander stalks
• chopped coriander (to garnish)
• 2 cans of red beans 
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup of pasta (tiny shapes are better for this kind of soup)

​Preparation:

1 - On a non-stick pan sautée the bacon to render the fat, in medium heat. When the bacon gets crunchy and has rendered most of its fat remove it from the pan and pat it dry with a paper towel. No one likes a greasy soup! Where going for flavor here, not fat.
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2 - Remove the extra fat from the pan leaving just a bit to start cooking up your soup base.

3 - Add the onion and the garlic to the pan and stir it a bit until the onion gets translucent. Add the carrots, the coriander stalks and the zucchini, making sure that they get a bit of color in them - color equals flavor!
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4 - Add 1 can of beans and season with the pepper and the onion flakes. Add the beef stock and the water. Cover and let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes. The longer you cook it the tastier it will get!
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​5 - Turn off the heat and, with an immersion blender puree the soup. If you notice that the soup is still pretty thick you can always add some more water or stock until you get the desired thickness. Adjust the seasonings at this time but keep in mind that the meatballs will add extra saltiness, so go easy on the salt.

6 - Turn the heat back on again and add the remaining can of beans, the kale and the pasta to the pan. Let it cook until the pasta gets al dente.
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7 - At this point, while the soup finishes cooking get started with the meatballs. To have perfectly crunchy tasty meatballs for your soup fry them in a pan with just a drizzle of olive oil. The toasted bits give the soup an extra burst of flavor! 
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Oh, my! See those brown bits? Heavenly! 

When the soup is ready serve it in big bowls with a side of buttered baked bread: on a baking dish put the bread slices and brush them with butter and garlic powder. Take it to a 400F degree oven for about 10 minutes or until it gets nicely toasted and that's it!

This will be a staple at our house this winter, I can tell you that! It's exactly what you're looking for when you think about a comforting meal for a cold rainy day! Also it's packed with nutritious and satisfying ingredients that make up for a whole meal. Try it out yourself and let me know what you think of it!