Healthy Mexican-Style Meatball Soup

Photo by Rachel Maser

This time of year calls for stress-free meals that warm you up and nourish your body, and what better way to do that then with a hearty bowl of soup? This meatball soup recipe from one of our favorite food blogs, cleanfoodcrush.com, does exactly that with warming spices, fibrous veggies, and flavorful, protein-rich meatballs. Not a meat eater? Skip the beef and load up on extra legumes, such as chickpeas and kidney beans.

Mexican-Style Meatball Soup

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  •  Total Time: 40 Minutes  •  Makes 4 Servings

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• ⅓ cup oat flour (rolled oats ground, pulsed, or blended into flour)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• Sea salt and pepper, to your taste (about an _1/8 tsp each)

For the soup:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3-4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
• 4 stalks celery, sliced thinly
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1 15 oz jar diced tomatoes, with juices
• 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed if using canned
• 4 cups chicken bone stock, or broth
• 2 fresh ears corn, corn cut from cobs (or you can use frozen)

Garnish suggestions:

• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Jalapeno, thinly sliced
• Juice of 1 lime, and/or lime wedges

1. In a medium bowl, add all meatball ingredients and mix with clean hands to thoroughly combine.
2. Take a spoonful of mixture and roll it between your palms to create a meatball. Repeat with remaining mixture.
3. Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until they start to brown on the sides (the meatballs don't have to be cooked through at this point).
4. Stir in diced onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper and continue to cook until your veggies soften a bit, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, black beans, and the corn cut from the cob. Bring to a rapid boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15-18 minutes.
6. Ladle into bowls and serve topped with desired garnish.