Tortilla Meatball Soup
Spice up your metabolism while boosting your immune system, supporting muscle and tissue repair, and helping to improve nervous system function with this Tex-Mex favorite. Omit the healthy fats and you have a nutritionally, flavorful Phase 1 soup, too.
Phase 3, Phase 1* | Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes | Total time: 55 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon approved oil
Soup:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
28-ounce can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, with juice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
approved oil, for frying
4 small sprouted grain tortillas, sliced into thin strips
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
DIRECTIONS
- Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients (beef through cumin) and season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined, then form into meatballs.
-
Heat a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, rolling them occasionally, until browned. Transfer to a plate.
-
Make the soup: In the same pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, and peppers. Cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
- Add the meatballs and simmer until the soup has reduced slightly, 15 to 20 minutes.
-
While the soup simmers, make crispy tortilla strips: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat a 1/8-inch layer of oil. Once shimmering, add the tortilla strips in batches and cook briefly until golden and crisp (about 1 minute or less per batch). Remove the strips to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt.
- Remove the bay leaf from the soup and add the lime juice. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, avocado, and cilantro.
*For Phase 1 Recipe, replace egg with egg white, omit oils and avocado and serve with sprouted grain tortillas on the side.
Spice up your metabolism while boosting your immune system, supporting muscle and tissue repair, and helping to improve nervous system function with this Tex-Mex favorite. Omit the healthy fats and you have a nutritionally, flavorful Phase 1 soup, too.
Phase 3, Phase 1* | Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes | Total time: 55 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon approved oil
Soup:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
28-ounce can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, with juice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
approved oil, for frying
4 small sprouted grain tortillas, sliced into thin strips
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
DIRECTIONS
- Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients (beef through cumin) and season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined, then form into meatballs.
-
Heat a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, rolling them occasionally, until browned. Transfer to a plate.
-
Make the soup: In the same pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, and peppers. Cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
- Add the meatballs and simmer until the soup has reduced slightly, 15 to 20 minutes.
-
While the soup simmers, make crispy tortilla strips: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat a 1/8-inch layer of oil. Once shimmering, add the tortilla strips in batches and cook briefly until golden and crisp (about 1 minute or less per batch). Remove the strips to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt.
- Remove the bay leaf from the soup and add the lime juice. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, avocado, and cilantro.
*For Phase 1 Recipe, replace egg with egg white, omit oils and avocado and serve with sprouted grain tortillas on the side.
