Similar to a classic Italian wedding soup, my Hearty Swiss Chard Soup with Meatballs & Tomatoes is a comforting soup filled with flavorful ingredients. The meatballs are studded with garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese and Panko bread crumbs and are baked before being added into the chicken broth-based soup. In addition to the meatballs, each bite is filled with tender Swiss chard leaves, quartered cherry tomatoes, and orzo, a small rice-shaped pasta perfect for soup. Serve this soup with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese and voilà, dinner is served.
The meatballs formed and ready to be baked
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Hearty Swiss Chard Soup with Meatballs & Tomatoes
Ingredients:
- For the meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground meat (veal, beef, pork, chicken or turkey)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For the soup:
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 lb. Swiss chard leaves, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup orzo, or any other small pasta
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place all of the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and with your hands, mix the ingredients together until well combined. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 35 minutes in the preheated oven.
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes over medium heat. Add in the shallots and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until the shallots are tender. Add the quartered tomatoes into the pot and continue cooking, stirring often for an additional 2 minutes. Add in the Swiss chard leaves and season the mixture with the salt and pepper. Cook the mixture for 3 minutes or until the greens have wilted.
- Add in the chicken broth and orzo. Allow the soup to simmer for 8-9 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Add in the cooked meatballs, taste the soup for any seasoning adjustments, and serve warm with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese.
Tagged: cherry tomatoes, chicken broth, egg, garlic, ground cumin, ground meat, ground veal, meatball and swiss chard soup, meatball soup, meatballs, orzo, Parmesan cheese, parsley, soup, Swiss chard, tomatoes
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