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.

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).

Veggies: 2 large carrots, 4 stalks celery, 1 zucchini, 1 large red bell pepper, mushrooms.

Serve in a bowl and top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!