On cold days I always reach for soup first. I want steam on my face and a warm bowl in my hands. This chicken meatball soup grew from one of my favorite Heart Healthy Soup Recipes and it still feels like a hug at the end of a long day. Tender chicken meatballs float in a clear lemon broth with soft rice and bits of spinach. Each spoonful feels light yet cozy. The broth has that gentle richness people link with Creamy Chicken Soup, only here we keep it bright and fresh so you can enjoy it on repeat without feeling heavy. If you scroll through soup recipes with chicken and every wedding soup meatball recipe you see feels the same, this pot gives you something new. The flavors sit in the same family as classic soup recipes chicken and easy chicken soup recipes, just with more lift from lemon zest and parmesan. I think of it as my Healthy Hearty Soup that kids and adults both ask for on sick days, snow days, and days that just need a quiet, steady meal.
Table of Contents
- 1) Key Takeaways
- 2) Easy Chicken Meatball Soup Recipe
- 3) Ingredients for Chicken Meatball Soup
- 4) How to Make Chicken Meatball Soup
- 5) Tips for Making Chicken Meatball Soup
- 6) Making Chicken Meatball Soup Ahead of Time
- 7) Storing Leftover Chicken Meatball Soup
- 8) Try these Soup next
- 9) Chicken Meatball Soup
- 10) Nutrition
1) Key Takeaways
This pot gives comfort and light in one bowl. Small chicken meatballs rest in clear lemon broth with rice and greens. I cook it on weeknights and on quiet Sundays. I write as Elena at Elena Cooks and this is one of my most loved Heart Healthy Soup Recipes ideas.
The method stays simple. Mix and bake the meatballs. Simmer broth. Join rice and greens at the end. The texture feels soft yet steady. The taste leans clean and bright. It fits chicken soup plans and sits well with families.
Leftovers warm well. The meatballs keep shape. The broth stays clear. This recipe fits small kitchens and busy days. It reads easy and cooks fast with little mess.
2) Easy Chicken Meatball Soup Recipe
Heart Healthy Soup Recipes guide my choices here. Heart Healthy Soup Recipes also keep the flavor bright and the body light. I cook this soup when I want steam on my face and calm in my kitchen. The first spoon feels gentle and warm and I always take a second before I even set the ladle down.
The meatballs taste tender and mild. Lemon wakes them up. Rice gives soft body. Spinach brings color and a soft bite. I lean on parmesan for a nutty note. This fits meatball soup lovers and anyone who asks for soup recipes with chicken that do not weigh you down.
Readers ask for cardio friendly soup ideas and this bowl answers that. It also fits low sodium soup ideas when you season with care. Think of it as one of those light broth soups that still feels cozy. It lands in the set of easy chicken soup recipes that you actually cook again.
3) Ingredients for Chicken Meatball Soup
Ground chicken tender base for each bite that takes on lemon and herbs with ease
Frozen spinach thawed and pressed dry for soft greens that do not water down the broth
Onion finely diced for gentle sweetness that rounds the broth
Garlic one clove for aroma that lifts the pot without crowding it
Dijon mustard a small spoon for depth and a quiet tang
Lemon zest and juice zest for perfume and juice for bright finish that fits Heart Healthy Soup Recipes
Old fashioned oatmeal pulsed fine for a light binder that keeps meatballs soft
Parmesan grated for savory notes that love chicken
Egg and milk whisked for moisture and tender texture
Olive oil to start the aromatics and add a soft sheen
Chicken broth clear and clean for a light base that suits healthy soup
Cooked rice white or brown for gentle body and comfort
Bay leaf one leaf for quiet herbal roundness
Parsley chopped for a fresh finish
Kosher salt and black pepper season with a light hand to keep with Heart Healthy Soup Recipes
4) How to Make Chicken Meatball Soup
step 1. Heat the oven and line a sheet. Brush it with oil. This keeps clean release and a light crust on each meatball.
step 2. Mix ground chicken with spinach onion garlic mustard lemon zest oatmeal parmesan salt and pepper. Work with gentle hands so the mix stays soft.
step 3. Whisk egg with milk. Pour over the mix and fold just until even. Scoop small balls and set them with space on the sheet.
step 4. Bake until set and pale gold. While they cook set a pot on the stove. Warm oil and soften onion then add garlic for a short minute.
step 5. Pour in broth and add bay leaf. Let it simmer. Slip the baked meatballs into the pot. Taste and season to match Heart Healthy Soup Recipes goals.
step 6. Stir in lemon juice. Place warm rice in bowls. Ladle soup over the rice. Top with parsley and a light shower of parmesan.
5) Tips for Making Chicken Meatball Soup
Roll the meatballs small for kids and a little larger for adults. Small size cooks fast and stays tender. Larger size gives one big bite that feels fun.
Keep the cooked rice in a bowl on the side. Add it to each serving so the grains stay fluffy. This keeps the broth clear and bright and fits wedding soup meatball recipe fans.
Season with care. Add salt near the end. Taste the lemon and add a small squeeze if you want more lift. Aim for clean flavor that fits Heart Healthy Soup Recipes and chicken soup plans.
6) Making Chicken Meatball Soup Ahead of Time
Mix and bake the meatballs a day early. Chill them in a sealed box. The texture holds and the flavor sets. This step makes weeknights calm.
Keep broth and rice in separate containers. Join them when you serve. This simple move keeps grains from soaking up the liquid. It also keeps with Heart Healthy Soup Recipes goals.
Warm the broth to a gentle simmer and drop in the meatballs to heat through. Stir in greens at the end so they stay tender and bright.
7) Storing Leftover Chicken Meatball Soup
Chill leftovers in tight containers. The soup keeps two to three days. The meatballs may sit in a freezer box for a month and reheat well in broth.
Set rice in its own box so the texture stays soft. Reheat soup on low heat on the stove. Add a splash of broth or water if it feels thick.
Finish with fresh lemon and parsley to wake the bowl. This keeps the spirit of Heart Healthy Soup Recipes and meets plans for healthy soup nights.
8) Try these Soup next
9) Chicken Meatball Soup
Heart Healthy Soup Recipes Chicken Meatball Soup The Whole Family Loves
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3/4 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup finely ground old fashioned oatmeal
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large clove garlic, sliced
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups cooked white or brown rice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
- extra grated parmesan, for serving
Instructions
For the meatballs
- Heat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment, then brush it with a little oil.
- Stir the ground chicken, spinach, onion, garlic, mustard, lemon zest, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, coriander, nutmeg, oatmeal, and parmesan in a large bowl until the mix just comes together.
- Whisk the egg with the milk in a small bowl, pour it over the chicken mixture, and mix again with clean hands until everything feels even but not packed tight.
- Scoop the mixture into small meatballs with a spoon or small scoop and set them on the baking sheet with a little space between each one.
- Bake the meatballs for ten to twenty minutes, depending on size, until they feel firm and show a light golden color on the outside.
For the soup
- Cook the rice according to the package directions, fluff it with a fork, and keep it warm in a covered bowl.
- Warm the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, then add the sliced onion and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and clear.
- Stir in the sliced garlic and cook for another minute until the kitchen smells fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth and drop in the bay leaf, bring the soup to a gentle simmer, and taste for salt.
- Slip the baked meatballs into the simmering broth and cook for about ten minutes so the flavors join.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice, taste again, and adjust the salt and pepper until the broth tastes bright and balanced.
To serve
- Spoon some warm rice into each bowl.
- Ladle the hot broth and a few meatballs over the rice.
- Finish with fresh parsley and extra parmesan and carry the bowls straight to the table.
10) Nutrition
Serving size one bowl with rice and three meatballs. Approximate values per serving Calories four hundred Sugar two grams Sodium six hundred sixty eight milligrams Fat twenty five grams Saturated fat six grams Carbohydrates thirty five grams Fiber two grams Protein seventeen grams Cholesterol thirty eight milligrams. This sits well within Heart Healthy Soup Recipes aims and pairs with salads on the side. Visit Elena Cooks for more easy chicken soup recipes and chicken soup ideas.
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