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thehungryhungryhiker

Chicken (Meatball) and Rice Soup

A paleo, Whole30 and unique take on the traditional chicken and rice soup.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs:
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 cup kale, packed, then shredded I use a food processor
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup almond flour
For the soup:
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 white onion, large diced
  • 2 carrots, large peeled and diced
  • 2 celery ribs, large diced
  • 2 quarts chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 cups cauliflower rice
  • 3 cups kale torn

Method
 

Make the meatballs:
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix with your hands until combined. Form 1.5" round balls and place on the sheet pan. You should yield about 24 meatballs.
  3. Bake at 400° F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set meatballs aside.
Make the soup:
  1. While the meatballs are baking, heat the ghee in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Stir occasionally for ten minutes until the vegetables have softened.
  2. Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, sea salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Stir. Increase to high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cauliflower rice. Stir and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add the torn kale and meatballs and stir. Simmer until kale has wilted slightly, about 5 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!