This delicious bowl of homemade chicken broth with crisp garden zucchini, orzo and tender mini meatballs showered with fresh dill is the perfect comfort food. It's also a great way to use up some of that garden zucchini. Perfect for a cool summer night.
Ingredients for Zucchini and Mini Meatball Soup with Orzo:
1 pound ground dark turkey meat, chicken or *meatloaf mix
1/3 cup panko
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups diced zucchini
1/2 cup orzo
2 quarts of homemade chicken broth (Click HERE for our Chicken Broth recipe)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Time Saving Tip: Make the homemade chicken stock in advance so it is ready when you are to cook. You can also use store bought chicken stock, but homemade will provide you with a much tastier soup.
* Meatloaf mix is a combination of ground beef, ground pork and ground veal. It is readily available in the meat case at most supermarkets. This is what I used to prepare this soup.
Let's see what we need.
Now it is time to make the soup.
Combine the ground meat, panko, parmesan cheese, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl. Shape into 32 meatballs.
In the meanwhile bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
Once the broth comes to a simmer add the meatballs. Simmer meatballs for about 2-3 minutes before adding the orzo and the zucchini.
After the meatballs have simmered for a few minutes, it is time to add the orzo. Cook for about 5 minutes and them add the zucchini.
Once the zucchini and orzo are both tender add the dill, lemon juice, and if needed, more salt and pepper. Simmer for a few more minutes.
Soups on! It's ready and delicious. If you like, you can sprinkle with some additional cheese before serving.
Enjoy!