I’ve had a head cold this week. Head colds are not fun, but when you have a large bowl of the old-fashioned chicken noodle soup. It makes things better. This soup isn’t like any other chicken soup. I call this the ultimate chicken soup. It’s loaded with homemade chicken meatballs, zucchini, yellow squash, spinach, orzo pasta, lemon juice, and chicken broth. All the nutrients you need during cold/flu season. It’s certainly been my go-to soup whenever I’ve been sick. It hasn’t failed me yet. 🥣
Ultimate Chicken Meatball Soup
This ultimate chicken soup is loaded with homemade chicken meatballs, zucchini, yellow squash, spinach, orzo pasta, lemon juice, and chicken broth. All the nutrients you need during cold/flu season. It's certainly been my go-to soup whenever I've been sick. It hasn't failed me yet.
Ingredients
For Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- Kosher salt and ground pepper
For the Soup:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup orzo pasta
- 2 medium zucchini, halved
- 1 yellow squash, halved
- 3 cups spinach, chopped
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
For Chicken Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- To make chicken meatballs, combine ground chicken, Panko, Parmesan, garlic, basil, kosher salt and ground pepper in a medium bowl. Stir until well combined. Roll meat mixture into 1/2 inch meatballs. Makes about 30 chicken meatballs.
- Place meatballs on a baking sheet. Place into oven to bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes.
For the Soup:
- To make soup, add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to large stock pot. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Gradually add thyme and stir well. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Stir in orzo pasta and meatballs. Reduce heat down until pasta is al dente and meatballs are cooked entirely. Cook for about 10-12 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash and spinach. Stir well until spinach has wilted and vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice and fresh parsley. Season with kosher salt and ground pepper. Serve immediately.
