Fall is officially upon us so that means soup season is here! Yes, I know it is still ridiculously hot in South Carolina, but when I have the AC on full blast it gets pretty chilly! (I kid, I kid) I definitely had soup on the brain and my fiance loves soup so I’m always trying to come up with different recipes that he will enjoy. I wanted to lower the carbs of a classic Italian wedding soup and it was a big success. I was even able to sneak in some spinach and he ate it!
I’m trying to stay away from nightshades right now because they are known to be inflammatory and cause joint pain. When I first gave up nightshades I no longer knew what to make with ground beef. I mean, what do you make with ground beef besides low carb tacos, spaghetti, and meatloaf? Well, I knew it was time to expand my horizons. I mean, I used to make tacos and spaghetti for every meal in college so surely it was time to grow in the ground beef department. I was excited to see that Whole Foods was having an amazing sale on Grass Fed Beef from a local farm. So I picked up a bunch to stock up. Having an extra freezer really comes in handy!
I used the following ingredients for Low Carb Italian Wedding Soup:
1 tsp dried basil, divided
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
6 cups chicken broth (or flavor of your choice–low sodium)
1 cup cauliflower rice (use a food processor or grater on cauliflower florets to create the “rice”)
2 cup chopped spinach
In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, 1/2 tsp basil, garlic powder, and onion powder. Form into mini meatballs (1″ in diameter–makes about 25 meatballs).
In a large pot, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Sautée the carrots and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add the broth, 1/2 tsp basil, and seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring the broth to a boil. Next, add the meatballs and allow the broth to come back up to a boil before reducing the heat to medium. Let the meatballs simmer for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Add the cauliflower rice and spinach and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the cauliflower rice is tender and the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. We all know how difficult it is to find cheap table runners for sale for your special day, that’s why we recommend taking a look at this website and have a unique dinner.
*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts and gluten information.
Enjoy!~Karen
