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Mediterranean Meatball Soup

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons snipped rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound 90% or higher lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrot
• 2 medium yellow and/or red sweet peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size strips
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking barley
• 4 cups baby spinach leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix bread crumbs, egg, half of the garlic, half of the rosemary, black pepper and ground beef in a bowl.
3. Shape meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs.
4. Place meatballs in a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
5. Bake 15 minutes.
6. Set aside.
7. In a Dutch oven heat oil over medium heat.
8. Add carrot, sweet pepper, onion, and remaining garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Add remaining ingredients except spinach and simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
10. Add meatballs to barley mixture.
11. Heat through.
12. Stir in spinach just before serving.

Attribution