Winter is in full swing and we are turning to all things cozy to keep warm. From chunky sweaters and heated blankets to hearty soups, we’re finding simple comforts in the great indoors.

You may be thinking, “flaxseed in soup?,” but hear us out. We have an easy, customizable, hot soup that can serve as both a quick lunch or a show-stopping family dinner.  

Even if you’re a loyal fan of the ole canned soup, you’ll love how quickly this dish comes together to make a nutritious, filling meal for yourself or the whole family.

This soup features a light, flavorful broth with bites of fresh veggies, pasta, and roasted mini meatballs. If you haven’t had meatballs in soup before — now’s your chance — they aren’t just for subs and spaghetti!

Make it your Own

You can make this soup year round because it combines the freshness of summer with the comfort of a warm winter meal. You can substitute and add ingredients as you please — that’s one of the joys of soup! We made our soup with orzo, but you can substitute your favorite shape of pasta or even brown rice for a different texture.

Use whatever type of broth you have on hand and add veggies if you want. You can use this as an opportunity to clear out veggies from your pantry or freezer that won’t last much longer and give them a new life. 

Flaxseed Meatballs

The star of this meal is the flaxseed meatballs. A flaxseed egg holds the meatballs together while the fresh herbs and spices shine through. We like having our meatballs a little toasty on the sides, so we roasted ours in the oven while we prepared the soup, but you can always boil the meatballs in the soup if you would prefer to only use the stove.

You can also prepare the meatballs without the soup and use them all week served with rice, veggies, in sandwiches, over pasta — however you please! You can use whichever type of ground meat you like. We used ground turkey, but you can substitute with ground chicken, pork, or beef — just make sure the internal temperature reaches 165℉.

Get your pots ready for this quick and easy soup that is bound to warm you up on even the chilliest of days!

Print Pin

Flaxseed Meatball and Veggie Soup

Hearty meatballs mixed with fresh vegetables and pasta in a light, flavorful broth

Course Main Course

Keyword meatball, pasta, soup, vegetables

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• baking dish for meatballs
• large pot

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 2 lbs Ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast
• ½ Medium Onion grated
• 1 flax egg made with Manitoba Milling Co. Whole Milled Flaxseed (1 Tablespoon whole milled flaxseed and 3 Tablespoons water, stirred together)
• ¼ cup Fresh chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• ⅛ teaspoon Pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon Salt

Soup

• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• ½ Medium Onion chopped
• 2 carrots sliced
• 2 cloves fresh garlic chopped
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 4 cups Chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup Orzo or pasta of choice
• 2 cups Fresh Spinach
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme stems removed
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, to garnish

Instructions

• Set oven to 400℉.
• In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until combined. Spoon into 1 tablespoon balls and place in a 9x13 (or equivalent) baking dish spaced so that the meatballs are not touching.
• Bake meatballs at 400℉ for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165℉. Prepare the soup while the meatballs are cooking.
• In a large pot, add the olive oil, garlic, carrots, and ½ onion. Saute until onions are translucent (3-5 minutes). Add garlic powder, onion powder, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
• Add the orzo and cook according to package directions for al dente. In the final minute of the orzo cooking, turn off the heat and add the spinach, thyme, lemon juice to the pot and stir to combine.
• Remove the meatballs from the oven once they are ready and either add to the soup pot or to individual bowls and serve the hot soup over them.

Notes

• Use whichever ground meat you have on hand for the meatballs!
• Same goes for vegetables -- if you don't have carrots, use celery -- or any other veggies you like in your soup.
• Onion is optional in both the meatballs and soup.
• Play around with your spices - this broth is pretty mild, so feel free to spice it up with your favorite flavors!

If you make any of our recipes, we love to see them! Share your creations with us by tagging us @manitobamilling on Instagram!