Rustic Vegetable Soup with Chicken Meatballs

I just found out that I'll be starting my new job tomorrow and my first reaction was a panicked trip to the grocery store so I could fill up my freezer with as much food as possible before my time is consumed with work. One of the things I made was a big pot of this soup and put half in the freezer so I'll have lunches ready to bring to work with me or quick dinners if I get home late. I guess it's irrational, but now that my freezer is full I feel calm and prepared for the new job! I also made my favorite quick bread and another great soup that I will share later. This soup is really filling because of the chicken and beans and tons of vegetables so I think it makes a great one-dish meal. The small handful of cheese could certainly be omitted from the meatballs if you're not a dairy person or if you don't mix meat and milk. And for those who don't eat meat, it's still a great soup on its own without the meatballs.



Rustic Vegetable Soup With Chicken Meatballs
Adapted from Chicken, by Rick Rodgers (Simon & Schuster, 2001).

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or half-rounds 1/2 inch
thick
2 celery stalks, cut into slices 1/2 inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chopped kale leaves
1 cup dry red wine
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped into 1-inch
pieces (It doesn't need to be perfect, just scrape out the seed pods while you are cutting it up)
4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 can (19 oz.) cannellini or white kidney beans
1/4 cup fresh basil (wash and dry basil, then stack the leaves up in one neat pile, roll them up tightly, and cut thin ribbons across)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
A small handful of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs (See note on bread crumbs)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and tomato and bring to a boil. Stir in the stock, water and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially and simmer until well flavored, about 1 hour. During the last 10 minutes (while the meatballs are cooking), drain and rinse the beans, then add to the pot along with the basil. Discard the bay leaves.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper. Increase the heat under the soup to medium and bring to a light boil. Drop rounded tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the soup. Their texture will firm up on contact with the hot liquid. Cover and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and black pepper if necessary.

Variation: For a special occasion, omit the chopped basil and instead put a dollop of pesto in the center of each bowl. Let your guests swirl the pesto in for great presentation and added flavor.

Note on bread crumbs: no need to buy these - just take any kind of stale or fresh bread or pita and grind it in a coffee grinder or food processor until fine. If you use your coffee grinder for coffee then run one piece of bread through first and discard to remove any odors from the grinder.