Once shaped, the meatballs go into a soup with orzo and lots of baby spinach. It’s an easy, hearty meal that everyone will love.
Making Meatballs
Meatballs were traditionally made with scraps of meat, often pork or beef, and stale bread. They were a make-do meal for people who had little. Today, most of us just buy ground meat at the store whenever a craving strikes. But meatballs are still an economical meal, especially when mixed with whatever sandwich bread or leftover dinner rolls need using up.
An Easy Shortcut
I like to quickly sauté the meatballs to brown their outsides, but you can skip this step if you’re in a hurry. Then, just cook them in chicken broth along with the orzo and spinach. A dusting of grated Parmesan added at the end brings out the flavor of the cheese in the meatballs and adds to the scrumptious tastes in your bowl. To make the meatballs in advance, set the rolled meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until firm. Then drop the meatballs into a plastic freezer bag. Defrost them overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
2 slices white bread or 1 soft dinner roll (about 3 inches across), left out overnight
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole or reduced-fat milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup (32g) grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat or at least 85% lean
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups (2000 ml) chicken stock
1/2 cup (70g) orzo pasta
8 loosely packed cups (5 ounces) baby spinach, with any long stems removed
1 cup (128g) grated Parmesan, for serving
Cook the remaining meatballs in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same way. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the orzo is tender (cut the meatballs in half to check them; taste the orzo).
