Paleo Minestrone With Italian Pork Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt (I use this [aflink u="http://amzn.to/2j36ewB"]real salt[/aflink] since it's full of minerals)
- 1 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning (I used this [aflink u="http://amzn.to/2ki184E"]Super Gyro Blend from Primal Palate[/aflink])
- Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- 1 heaping Tbsp. [aflink u="http://amzn.to/2jQICzW"]tomato paste[/aflink]
- 2 Tbsp. [aflink u="http://amzn.to/2iSPnS0"]olive oil[/aflink], for frying the meatballs
Soup
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, pressed
- 5 stalks of celery, chopped
- 5 large carrots, chopped
- 2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 2 cups of chopped zucchini
- 1 cup chopped yellow squash
- 5 cups beef bone broth ([aflink u="https://soletshangout.com/how-to-make-roasted-beef-bone-broth-how-its-helping-me-heal-slow-cooker-pressure-cooker-instructions/"]learn how to make your own HERE[/aflink])
- 1 28oz can of [aflink u="http://amzn.to/2jQQTDH"]diced tomatoes in their juices[/aflink]
- 3/4 cup red wine (It can be any red wine--nothing fancy. I used Green Fin that I purchased at TJ's)
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- Basil, to top (optional)
- Peccorino cheese, to top (optional)
Instructions
- Add the ground pork into a large mixing bowl with all of the spices and the tomato paste. Mix together until the spices and paste are distributed throughout.
- Portion the ground pork into approximately 32 meatballs. Use your hands to roll the balls into shape. Heat the olive oil up over medium high heat in the bottom of your heavy bottomed soup pot (this is the one I use, and I love it). Once the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches until they are fully browned on the outside. They don't have to be completely cooked through, as they will have a chance to cook further in the soup. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meatballs from the pot over to a plate. You will need to fry the meatballs in two to three batches depending on the size of your pot.
- Once the meatballs are done frying, turn the heat down to medium and add the onion and garlic to the pot. Allow them to cook in the pork drippings. Saute until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the celery and carrots and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes,. Add in the green beans, zucchini and yellow squash. Stir.
- Add in the broth along with the can of tomatoes in their juices. Add the red wine. Stir again.
- Transfer the meatballs from their resting plate back into the soup pot. Allow the pot to come to a boil. Once it is boiling, turn it down to a simmer. If you see any white scum forming on the top of the soup, simply skim it off and throw it away. Set a timer for at least 30 minutes, and allow the soup to simmer on the stove top, checking and stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, your soup should be ready. Taste it again at this point and adjust the seasoning accordingly. I like to liberally season with salt and some freshly cracked black pepper to my taste. Now, dish it up and serve! Garnish with fresh chopped basil and peccornio cheese. Enjoy!
