Turkey Meatball Orzo "Stoup"
Saw a similar recipe on GMA a few months ago, but wanted to put our own spin on it. It's a little time-consuming to make the teeny little meatballs, but definitely worth it! We call it a "stoup" (Thank you Rachael Ray) because it has a pretty thick consistency. If you have leftovers, you'll need to add more water or chicken broth, because the orzo really absorbs all the liquid.
Yield
8 servingsPrep
20 minCook
30 minReady
50 minIngredients
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 32-once container of low-sodium chicken stock
8 ounces of lean ground turkey
1/4 Parmesan cheese
1/4 whole wheat bread crumbs
2 egg whites
2 medium carrots
2 medium stalks celery
1/2 white onion
1 cup de-stemmed kale, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried sage
salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 32-once container of low-sodium chicken stock
8 ounces of lean ground turkey
1/4 Parmesan cheese
1/4 whole wheat bread crumbs
2 egg whites
2 medium carrots
2 medium stalks celery
1/2 white onion
1 cup de-stemmed kale, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried sage
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Carefully slice carrots and celery into small dice/slice. We use a mandolin on thin slice to get little slivers.
Cut onion into small dice.
Turn heat to about medium. In a medium to large stockpot, add vegetables and pour in enough chicken stock to cover.
Cover and cook for about ten minutes.
Cook orzo according to package directions.
In the meantime, combine turkey, Parmesan, bread crumbs and eggs in a medium bowl.
Carefully roll into balls with a diameter about the size of nickel.
In a large skillet coated with a little olive oil, cook on medium high heat, turning frequently to cook all sides.
While those are cooking, add spiced into vegetable mixture. Add more stock if necessary.
When orzo is cooked through, drain (if there is enough liquid, reserve about 1 cup to add to stoup, just in case) and set aside.
Once the meatballs are thoroughly cooked (about 8 to 10 minutes), pour just a little chicken stock into pan to de-glaze (this pulls up extra flavor). Carefully pour meatballs into stockpot with vegetables.
Pour in remaining chicken stock and add orzo and kale. If it's too thick, you can add pasta water, or water to your desired thickness.
Let simmer for about 15 minutes to combine all the flavors.
