Couscous Meatball Soup

Name: Couscous Meatball Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean); 2 teaspoons dried basil; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 teaspoons canola oil; 1 bunch collard greens, chopped (8 cups); 1 bunch kale, chopped (8 cups); 2 cartons (32 ounces each) vegetable stock; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1 package (8.8 ounces) pearl (Israeli) couscous

Leafy greens, homemade meatballs, pearly couscous and just-right seasonings tossed in the pot and ready to simmer after only 25 minutes of prep makes this our go-to dinner on chilly weeknights. —Jonathan Pace, San Francisco, California

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 bunch collard greens, chopped (8 cups)
1 bunch kale, chopped (8 cups)
2 cartons (32 ounces each) vegetable stock
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (8.8 ounces) pearl (Israeli) couscous

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the beef, basil, oregano and salt. Shape into 1/2-in. balls. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown meatballs; drain. Remove meatballs and set aside.
In the same skillet, brown onion in oil. Add greens and kale; cook 6-7 minutes longer or until wilted.
In a Dutch oven, combine the greens mixture, meatballs, stock, vinegar, pepper flakes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Return to a boil. Stir in couscous. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring once, until couscous is tender, 10-15 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 202 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 28mg cholesterol, 583mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 2g fiber), 13g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

Originally published as Meatball and Fregola Soup in Healthy Cooking December/January 2013

Reviews

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Average Rating:

lesley51765

Mar 16, 2018

I was hoping by the good reviews we would love this recipe but my family did not enjoy the taste at all.
willow28

Jan 25, 2016

I've made this repeatedly, substituting ground turkey for ground beef. Easy to make, and everyone loves it.
veelbe

Feb 9, 2013

I really liked this recipe. It was also a favorite of my mom who loves her veggies. I used Acini de Pepe instead of Coucous, since that's all I had and I doctored the meatballs a bit and added a few extra spices. Even though this recipe seemed very basic, it came out quite good.
jesslucas75

Feb 1, 2013

This soup was sooo tasty and easy to prepare! My whole family (including my three and four year olds) enjoyed this yummy soup. Very healthy, too.
mehalv

Jan 8, 2013

Just loved this delicious soup! The meatballs are delicious!
dcraver

Jan 7, 2013

Made this soup for dinner tonight and my 5 and 7 year old boys loved it! It is a great way to sneak in some yummy, healthy greens. I used beef stock instead of vegetable stock and the flavor was fantastic.
celestie4

Dec 3, 2012

This is my new, favourite recipe. I could not find the couscous, so I added 2 cups cooked barley instead. I recommend making the meatballs as is (they were very good and had a distinct flavour), rather than substituting other meatballs. Excellent! Thanks for a great recipe!!
celestie4

Dec 3, 2012

This is my new, favourite recipe. I was worried the greens might be overpowering, but they were great! I could not find the couscous, so I added 2 cups cooked barley instead. I recommend making the meatballs as is (they were very good and had a distinct flavour), rather than substituting other meatballs. Excellent! Thanks for a great recipe!!