A low carb and healthy Whole30 spin on traditional Italian Wedding Soup - comfort food at its best filled with veggies and chicken meatballs.
Make the meatballs. Mix thoroughly all the ingredients in a large bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge while you prep the veggies to firm up the mixture and make them easier to roll (if you already prepped your veggies, place the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes or so).
Wet your hands with a bit of water and form into mini meatballs, placing them on a baking sheet as you work and washing/wetting your hands regularly between meatballs to prevent them from sticking. You should get about 25 to 30 mini-meatballs.
In a large soup pot, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add a few meatballs and brown them on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate.
A few important tips: work in batches, adding only a few meatballs at a time so you have plenty of room to flip them (I recommend using kitchen tongs). Don’t try to move/flip them before they are browned or they might stick to the pan and fall apart. Once they’re brown, they’ll release easily. You might need to add a bit more oil depending on how many batches you make. And remember: the brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan are the best bits, they’ll give the soup a ton of flavor!
Make the soup. Add remaining olive oil (½ tablespoon). Add the onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add carrot and celery and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Add chicken broth and then the meatballs to the soup. Simmer over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the veggies super tender.
Stir in spinach and lemon juice, and cook another 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Variations and notes
Italian Wedding Soup https://www.notenoughcinnamon.com/italian-wedding-soup-whole30/