Summer Pesto Mini Meatball Soup
User Reviews
5
Summer Pesto Mini Meatball Soup
Description
This Summer Pesto Mini Meatball Soup starts with a freshly prepared pesto of basil, grated parmesan, toasted pine nuts, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and olive oil, blended to a coarse texture. Ground chicken or turkey combines with seasoned breadcrumbs, parmesan, and pesto to form small meatballs, which are browned in olive oil for a flavorful crust.
Shallots are sautéed in the same pot before adding the browned meatballs back along with chicken stock. Tiny pasta shapes like ditalini are added to cook through in the broth, creating a hearty yet light soup. Fresh basil and shaved parmesan garnish the finished dish, enhancing its herbal and cheesy notes.
The soup offers a balance of fresh pesto aroma, tender meatballs, and a savory broth with al dente pasta, suitable for a light meal or starter. Leftover pesto can be refrigerated for about a week and used in other dishes.
Ingredients
small batch pesto
- 1 cup basil packed, fresh
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese finely grated
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts toasted
- 2 garlic cloves
- pinch crushed red pepper
- salt
- black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
mini meatballs & soup
- 1 pound ground chicken lean, or turkey
- ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs panko or fine crumbs both work
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot diced
- 8 cups chicken stock low sodium is fine - you may want a pinch more salt, or broth
- 12 ounces pasta like ditalini or annellini, tiny cut
- basil fresh, for topping
- Parmesan Cheese for topping, shaved
Instructions
pesto
- Place the basil, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, red peppers flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper in the bowl of your food processor or blender. Pulse until small pieces remain. Blend while streaming in the olive oil until combined. You can store extras of this in the fridge for about a week.
mini meatballs & soup
- In a bowl, combine the chicken/turkey with the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, pesto and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until just combined the form the mixture into mini meatballs. (Or large! Whatever you prefer!)
- Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the meatballs in a single later, browning on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove the meatballs from the pan and place them on a plate.
- Keep the pot over medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Stir in the shallot with a pinch of salt and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the meatballs back to the pot. Add in the broth.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir in the pasta. Cook, uncovered and stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Once the pasta is cooked, stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons of the pesto. (Note: the soup is not a pretty color!) Ladle the soup into bowls and the stir in more pesto on a bowl-by-bowl basis, however much you want. Garnish with shaved parmesan and extra fresh basil and serve!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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