Meatball Soup

This recipe is very customizable! Make about 6 quarts of beef stock in advance (cook beef bones in a large pot of water for 12 hours with a little vinegar or lemon juice to help release the minerals from the bones).

Use whatever blend of ground meats you prefer (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, buffalo, venison, ostrich, goat). I used the following ingredients, but this soup is delicious no matter what! 🙂

Ingredients for meatballs:

Mix the following in a large bowl:

• 1.5 pounds grass-fed beef
• 1 pound pastured pork
• 1 pound ground “pet food” (ground beef and ground organ meat)
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1-2 T italian herbs (blend of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)
• 1 T red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• Optional, egg to bind the meatballs if they seem dry when you are forming them.

For the soup:

• 6 quarts beef bone broth
• 2 large carrots, 4 stalks celery, 1 zucchini, 1 large red bell pepper, 1-2 cups mushrooms.
• Large can crushed tomatoes (organic preferred)
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
• 1-4 cups leafy greens of choice
• Optional: Chives, onion and garlic to taste

How to:

Form golfball sized meatballs and drop into soup stock, medium heat. Add a large can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, 1 bunch of Italian parsley (finely chopped), chives or onion and garlic to your tasting preference (it’s also perfectly tasty without them). Add your favorite vegetables, chopped into bite-sized pieces and cook for 45 mins. For the last 10 minutes its cooking, add some spinach or other leafy greens (kale, chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, beet greens).

Serve in a bowl and top with parmesan cheese (optional).

Enjoy!