Chicken Parm Meatball Soup with Orzo
This Chicken Parm Meatball Soup features plump chicken-parm-inspired meatballs in a brothy tomato soup accented with kale and tender orzo.
Equipment
- A large dutch oven
Ingredients
Chicken Parm Meatballs
- 454g (1 lb) ground chicken
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano shredded
- ¾ cup full-fat ricotta
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes divided
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 shallots havled and sliced
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 (796ml, 28 fl oz) can whole tomatoes
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 7 cups chicken stock
- 250g (9oz) dried orzo
- 1 bunch kale stalks removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Place the chicken, breadcrumbs, cheeses, garlic, egg, oregano, lemon zest, fennel seeds, half of the red pepper flakes, and salt in a large bowl. Using a clean hand, mix the ingredients together to form a cohesive mixture.
- Form the chicken mixture into meatballs, using a one tablespoon measure as a guide. Set the meatballs aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides. You don't have to worry about cooking the meatballs through at this point. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Set the meatballs aside.
- Add the shallots to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Add a generous pinch of salt and saute until the shallots are just translucent. Stir in the remaining red pepper flakes, basil, and tomato paste and saute briefly.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hand before adding them to the pot. Pour in any remaining juices in the can. Bring the mixture up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Stir in the sugar and add the sprigs of oregano and bay leaves. Let simmer for 20 minutes or until reduced by half.
- Once the 20 minutes have passed, pour in the stock and blitz with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to boil. Once the water is boiling, add a generous pinch of salt and pour in the orzo. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Drain and rinse the orzo and add it to the soup.
- Return the meatballs to the soup and add the kale. Let the soup simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve the soup immediately with a dollop of ricotta, shards of Parmigiano Reggiano, and crushed red pepper flakes.