Turkey Meatball Soup with Spinach and Orzo

Ingredients

• 2 slices white bread or 1 soft dinner roll, left out overnight
• 1/4 cup whole or reduced-fat milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat or at least 85% lean
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup orzo pasta
• 5 ounces baby spinach, with any long stems removed
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

1. Tear the bread or roll into 1/2-inch bits with your fingers. Put it in a bowl with the milk, egg, Parmesan, turkey, salt, pepper, and parsley, then use a clean hand to mix everything together until the mixture is evenly combined.
2. Dampen your hands and form 2 teaspoons of the mixture into a small meatball, about the size of a walnut and 1 1/2-inches across. Keep going until you have 30 to 34 meatballs total.
3. If you want to brown the meatballs first, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add half of the meatballs and let them cook for 3 minutes, until the bottoms are browned. Turn them over and cook for 2 minutes more, so the second side browns too. Transfer them out of the skillet; they will still be uncooked in the center.
4. Brown the rest of the meatballs the same way, using the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
5. Warm the oil in a soup pot. Add the celery, carrots, salt, and pepper, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil. Add the meatballs and orzo, let the soup come back to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pan.
6. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the meatballs are fully cooked and the orzo is tender. Cut the meatballs in half to check them, and taste the orzo to be sure.
7. Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 minutes more, just until it wilts.
8. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper if you’d like. Spoon it into bowls and finish with Parmesan.