Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup

One of my favorite things in the world is sitting in front of the television after a long day of work with a giant bowl of chicken noodle soup. This is especially true when the temperature outside begins to drop. There is nothing more consoling than slurping on soup while watching The Walking Dead. Are you judging me right now? I can feel it. You are judging me. I promise I’m not slovenly. I use a napkin, slurp with spotlessness, and never take a glug directly from the bowl. Okay, maybe sometimes I glug directly from the bowl.

What?

This quick and easy Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup tastes almost like pizza. It is oh so very Italian with artichokes, fennel seed, and oregano. Being gluten and dairy free can be daunting at classic Italian restaurants. If you are like me and simply miss eating pizza from time to time (who doesn’t love ooey gooey cheese pizza with a paper thin crust?) then try a bowl of this.

Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup 

Time in kitchen: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Nutrition information per serving: 220 calories, 29 carbohydrates, 15 grams protein, 7 grams fat, 3 grams fiber

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
3 tablespoons gluten free breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Soup:
1 package brown rice noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ white onion, finely chopped
Dash of dried oregano
Dash of dried rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can artichokes in water, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
3 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 cups organic low sodium chicken stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients until just combined (don’t overmix); form in to ½ inch sized meatballs. On a large sheet pan lay out meatballs being sure they don’t touch. Spray quickly with olive oil. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

While the meatballs are baking:

Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot on medium high heat. Add onion, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent; about 5 minutes. Add drained artichokes, tomatoes, and spinach; stir to combine. Add chicken stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Add chicken meatballs and parsley.

Prepare brown rice noodles according to package directions. I usually soak them in very hot water while I cook the other ingredients; about 15 minutes (no need to boil). Drain and set aside. Note: Keep the noodles separate. Simply add a serving to the bottom of the bowl, and pour a serving of soup on top. This keeps the noodles from getting soggy and soaking up all of the lovely broth.