Italian Meatball Soup

The tomato sauce that used to simmer on your stove all afternoon isn't part of this kitchen anymore, and that's worth saying plainly instead of glossing over it. This soup doesn't pretend to be that sauce. It gets its color and its weight from carrots and a single beet, roasted until they're nearly caramelized, then blended into bone broth until the base turns a deep reddish brown, savory enough that leaving out the tomato doesn't leave a hole in the bowl.

The zinc in the ground beef here is tied to two things a body pulling an Autoimmune condition toward Remission needs: an immune response that isn't running hot, and tissue that actually rebuilds once inflammation has passed through it. Glycine, which a repairing gut lining draws on to rebuild its own barrier, comes along with every cup of the broth. That barrier is one of the places a lot of current Autoimmune thinking is focused, so this bowl is doing more than standing in for a different soup.

Both the beef and the broth in this pot trace back to one animal that gave everything it had. That doesn't need a ceremony, just a plain acknowledgment before you sit down with a bowl this good.

Ingredients

Nomato base:

• 2 cups carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 small beet, cut into 1/4-inch slices (approximately 1/3 cup)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cups bone broth

Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for frying)

Soup:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the 2 cups of sliced carrots and the beet slices with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until completely fork-tender and beginning to caramelize at the edges, approximately 30-35 minutes. Do not rush this step - undercooked beet will not blend smooth.

Transfer the roasted carrots and beet to a blender. Add 2 cups of the bone broth and blend until completely smooth. Set the nomato base aside.

While the vegetables roast, make the meatballs. Combine the ground beef, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix until the seasonings are evenly distributed, then roll into small balls, roughly 1 to 1.5 inches across.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, turning to color on all sides. They do not need to be cooked through at this stage. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pot, add the diced onion, chopped carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5-6 minutes.

Pour in the nomato base and the remaining 4 cups of bone broth. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Return the meatballs to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the fresh parsley. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Serve hot.

Optional AIP-compliant add-ins: cassava pasta, cauliflower rice, kale, or spinach. Avoid grain-based gluten-free pastas during the elimination phase.

Instant Pot variation

Set the Instant Pot to Saute. Brown the meatballs in batches in 1 tbsp olive oil, then remove. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes until beginning to soften. Cancel Saute.

Add the nomato base, remaining bone broth, salt, and browned meatballs to the pot. Seal the lid and set to Manual High Pressure for 10 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure.

Stir in the fresh parsley, taste, and adjust salt before serving.

Note: the nomato base still requires oven roasting before blending; the Instant Pot handles the soup step only.

*Adapted from Lichen Paleo Loving AIP*