Sunshine Soup
A delicious, cozy, and healthy soup that's perfect anytime of year
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 stalks corn on the cob, par-boiled
- 1 small head garlic, sliced in half (skin still on)
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 3 large celery stalks, diced
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 2 large russet potatoes, diced into cubes
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 15.5-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 5 cups kale, de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons
- 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
- salt
- pepper
For the Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1 cup puffed rice
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (if dairy-free, use nutritional yeast)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
For the Soup
- Heat the oven to 400º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Onto the sheet, place the tomatoes, garlic halves, and three stalks of par-boiled corn (make sure that this corn has already cooked in boiling water for 10-15 minutes).
- Drizzle 3 tbsp olive oil on top the tomatoes, garlic, and corn. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Coat everything generously in the oil, ensuring that the sliced halves of the garlic are well-coated, plus the corn on all sides. Place the garlic halves slice-side down on the sheet.
- Roast vegetables for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the garlic is golden brown and cooked-through (tomatoes and corn should also be softened, cooked, and have a golden hue on the skin). Set aside and let cool.
- In a large dutch oven or soup pot, drizzle 2-3 tbsp olive oil. Add the diced carrots, minced onion, and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir throughly and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until vegetables are softening and onion is getting translucent.
- Once the carrot mixture is cooked and getting soft, add the roasted tomatoes and garlic to the pot. The cloves can be squeezed out of the head right into the pan (they should pop out and be soft and golden-brown). Stir thoroughly, breaking up the garlic cloves.
- Add 1 quart of chicken stock to the pot, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the fond (the brown, flavorful bits that stick to the bottom). Let simmer for 10 minutes so that the vegetables get soft.
- Use an immersion blender to completely puree the vegetable-stock mixture in the soup pot. If you do not have one, you can remove the mixture from the heat, let cool for 15 minutes, and puree in a blender. The pureed soup base should be thick and smooth. Return the mixture to the pot.
- To the pureed mixture, add the remaining chicken stock. Then add the diced potatoes. Cover the pot with a lid and let the potatoes simmer on low-medium heat (not boiling, but simmering), for approximately 1 hour or until a fork can easily pierce a potato cube.
For the Meatballs
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the meatballs. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. With clean hands, mix the ingredients thoroughly and roll them into balls that are approximately 1-inch in diameter. You can use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to keep them consistent.
- Bake the meatballs in the 400º F oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through. Set aside.
To Assemble
- Using a sharp knife, slice the roasted corn kernels off the cob (they should be cooled and easy to handle. I like to do this right on the parchment paper still on the baking sheet so that I can pour the kernels right into the pot).
- Add the meatballs, corn kernels, white beans, kale, and a few tablespoons of the chopped basil. Stir and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Let simmer for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve hot and top each bowl with more sliced basil. Enjoy!