Italian Wedding Soup Healthier

Make This Your Star of The Meal



3/4 pound meatball mix (extra lean ground beef, extra lean turkey, and veal)
1/3 cup Almond Meal 
1/4 cup Smart Balance Fat Free Omega 3 Milk (mixed with Almond Meal)
1/3 cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
2 tablespoons Fresh Italian Flat Leaf parsley, chopped
1 Egg White
1/4 teaspoon Sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup(s) onion , diced
1 cup(s) carrot, diced
4 clove(s) garlic, crushed with a press
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth or make your own without salt
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained several times
3/4 cup dried ditalini pasta
1/2 pound Swiss chard, preferably rainbow chard, washed, stems chopped, and leaves torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt 
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 egg whites, beaten
Fine Grated Imported Pecorino Romano cheese (made with Sheep's Milk)

1. Meatballs:Mix meat, almond meal with milk, cheese, parsley, egg white, sea salt, and pepper in a bowl until well blended. Shape tablespoonfuls into 24 walnut-size meatballs. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add meatballs, and cook until well browned, turning, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings.

2. Soup:Heat reserved drippings from meatballs in a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, carrot, and garlic. Cook 2 minutes, stirring; reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook 10 minutes.

3.Add broth; bring soup to a boil. Stir in meatballs, beans, pasta, chard, oregano, salt, and pepper; reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pasta is tender.

4.Whisk egg whites with some of the hot broth; remove soup from heat and stir in egg mixture. Let stand, covered, until egg whites set. Garnish each serving with Pecorino Romano Cheese.

Serves: 4