A much healthier take on Mexican Meatball Soup – traditionally made with ground beef and sausage, this version uses Gimme Lean for a soup that is just as satisfying and delicious as the original!
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion — chopped
3 garlic cloves — minced
1 bay leaf
6 cups broth — beef or vegetable
14 ounces diced tomatoes — canned, in juice
1/4 cup salsa — chunky style, mild or medium
1/2 cup cilantro — chopped
14 ounces soy gimme lean ground beef style
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/3 cup long-grain white rice — uncooked
3 tablespoons soy sour cream — optional
Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot. Add onions, garlic and bay leaves and saute 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes (with liquid in can), salsa and half the cilantro – bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, prepare the meatballs. By hand, mix the gimme lean, cumin, onion powder and garlic salt together. You could also add a pinch or two of your favorite chili powder for added zest. Form into 1″ meatballs. I prefer the smaller meatballs in this soup, but you could certainly form larger ones.
After the broth has simmered for 15 minutes, add the meatballs and rice to the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring two or three times. Reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is cooked – again stir two or three times while cooking.
When the soup is ready, ladle into bowls and pass along the rest of the fresh cilantro and soy sour cream.
Serves 6
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:
Calories: 163
Fat: 4 grams, 1 gram saturated
Cholesterol: 0
Protein: 12 grams