Chicken Meatball Soup

My new favorite! Recipe from Tasty

Ingredients

for 6 servings

CHICKEN MEATBALLS

1 lb  ground chicken

½ cup  panko bread crumbs

1 large egg

½ cup  grated parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup  fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon  kosher salt

½ teaspoon  pepper

SOUP

2 tablespoons  olive oil, divided

1 cup  white onion, diced

½ cup  carrot, diced

½ cup  celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups  chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 cup  dry orzo pasta (I used Trader Joe's dried mini ravioli pasta - so good)

4 cups  swiss chard, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons  grated parmesan cheese

kosher salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon  lemon juice

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then form into 1-inch (2 cm) meatballs. You should have 16-18 total.
2. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sear the meatballs on all sides until golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
3. In the same pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, add the orzo and meatballs. Cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the orzo is tender.
6. Add the Swiss chard, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the chard has wilted.
7. Add the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve.
9. Enjoy!