Meatball Kale Soup With Couscous

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Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous is a tasty recipe that anyone can make! Whether it is cold season or you need an easy soup for dinner, this will be a huge hit! 

A clear bowl of Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous on a table in front of a red dutch oven with the rest of the soup

Easy Couscous Soup

This Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous is an easy and hearty soup with a lot of flavor. You may not naturally think of a kale and couscous recipe, but it works! 

A great way to feed the entire family on a busy weeknight, you don’t have to wait for soup season for this one. Don’t wait for cold winter days (although this easy soup recipe is fantastic then too!), it’s great any time of year!

An easy and flavorful soup with lots of texture, this is one of those healthy recipes that you can leave on the stove so that everyone can serve themselves as they have time to eat at the end of a busy day.

It doesn’t take a long time to make and will fit right into your menu planning, as it doesn’t have many extravagant ingredients. There are also lots of easy substitutions that you can make, listed below. 

Anything that doesn’t take a lot of time becomes one of my favorite recipes, and you’re going to love this one! Plus, just like most soup recipes, this tastes even better the next day! 

Recipe Notes:

  • Be sure to derib your kale before chopping it up for your soup. 
  • Test the pearl couscous to make sure that it is al dente before dishing out the rich soup into bowls. 

A clear bowl of Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous on a white placemat on a green tablecloth

How To Make Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous:

Ingredients For Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oregano, dried
1 tablespoon basil, dried
1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
1/2 medium onion, grated
8 cups kale, chopped
2 cartons vegetable stock (64 oz total)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons roasted pepper and garlic seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 package pearl couscous 6.3 oz

Supplies Needed:

Large bowl
Large skillet
Spatula
Large plate or baking sheet
Large dutch oven

A metal bowl with a ground beef mixture next to a white plate of raw meatballs on a wooden table

Directions:

Step 1: Place your ground beef in a large bowl. Mix in your kosher salt, oregano, and basil until it is well integrated.

A white plate of lots of raw meatballs on a wooden tableOnce the meat mixture is well combined, start to form 1/2 inch meatballs until there’s no more meat remaining.

This should leave you with around 40 mini meatballs. You can make them 1-inch balls if you’d prefer larger meatballs. 

Lots of kale on a wooden cutting board with cooked meatballs on a white plate in the backgroundStep 2: Preheat a large pan on medium-high heat and drizzle in the oil.

Add your raw meatballs to the pan and let them cook until they have a golden brown on the outside and the middle is cooked through. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a large plate or baking sheet to rest. 

A pan with onions and kale cooking and a wooden spoon insideStep 3: Using the same large skillet, brown your grated onions using the grease and oil already in the pan. Add your chopped kale and cook it down for about 6 minutes. 

A red dutch oven with meatballs and kale inside and a stream of vegetable broth being poured insideStep 4: Take out a large dutch oven. Pour your cooked onions and kale inside and add your cooked meatballs.

A dutch oven with visible meatballs, kale, and brothStep 5: Add your vegetable broth, white wine vinegar, roasted pepper and garlic seasoning, and pepper. Stir to distribute everything. 

A dutch oven with visible kale, meatballs and brothStep 6: Place your large pot onto the stove and heat until your soup reaches a boil. Once boiling, lower it to medium heat and cover your pot for 10 minutes to allow it to simmer. 

A dutch oven with visible broth, kale, and pearl couscousStep 7: Uncover the dutch oven and pour in the pearl couscous, making sure to stir it well.

A red dutch oven with Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous with a ladle inside in back of a clear bowl of a portion of the soup on a white placematStep 8: Bring your brothy soup to a boil once more and after it reaches that point, lower the heat again and let it cook uncovered for 10 minutes at a low simmer. Make sure that your couscous is al dente and your soup is ready to eat. 

A clear bowl of Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous on a white placematServe this delicious meal with some shredded parmesan cheese and crusty bread. Enjoy! 

A clear bowl of Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous on a white placemat

How To Store Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also place the meatball vegetable soup in freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to 3 months for best results. 

Can I Use A Substitute For The Roasted Red Pepper And Garlic Seasoning?

Yes! If you don’t have this on-hand, substitute with a combination of garlic powder and some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you like your soups. 

I Can’t Find Kale Or White Wine Vinegar – What Do I Do?

If you don’t see regular kale or dinosaur kale at your local grocery stores, you can use collard greens or raw spinach as an alternative. If you don’t have white wine vinegar, you can substitute red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar.

Every vinegar has a different flavor, so if you’d prefer not to use those, omit the vinegar ingredient altogether. Your soup will still taste great. 

A clear bowl of Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous in front of a red dutch oven with the rest of it

Can I Use Regular Couscous Instead Of Pearl Couscous?

Yes! Israeli couscous (which is the same as pearl couscous) is larger and similar to what you’d see in a classic Italian Wedding soup. Traditional couscous is just small pearls, so the good news is that either will work. 

Can I Turn This Into A Chicken Soup Recipe?

Yes! You can use chicken broth or chicken stock instead of vegetable broth for some extra flavor, but it will have plenty as it is.

If you’d prefer to make ground turkey or ground chicken meatballs instead of beef, feel free to do that as well. The best part of this soup is that it is easy to tinker with, so go with your preference. 

A clear bowl of Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous in front of the red dutch oven of the rest on a white placemat

Can I Make This A Vegetarian Couscous Soup?

If you are looking to make this into one of the vegetarian recipes that you can serve the whole family, this is what I’ve done. Cook the meatballs and set them to the side.

Add your favorite beans to the vegetarian soup while cooking (white beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, or some mixture works great).

Offer meatballs on the table to those people who want them and you’ve got a good bowl of soup for everyone. As a bonus, the beans make it a filling dish for those with and without meatballs. 

Are You Looking For Some Other Delicious Soup Recipes? Here Are Some Of My Favorites:

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Yield: 12 servings

Meatball Kale Soup With Couscous

A clear bowl of Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous on a white placemat

Meatball Kale Soup with Couscous is a tasty recipe that anyone can make! Whether it is cold season or you need an easy soup for dinner, this will be a huge hit!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon oregano, dried
  • 1 tablespoon basil, dried
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, grated
  • 8 cups kale, chopped
  • 2 cartons vegetable stock (64 oz total)
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons roasted pepper and garlic seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 package pearl couscous 6.3 oz

Instructions

  1. Place your ground beef in a large bowl. Mix in your kosher salt, oregano, and basil until it it is well integrated.
  2. Once the meat mixture is well combined, start to form 1/2 inch meatballs until there's no more mixture remaining. This should leave you with around 40 mini meatballs. 
  3. Preheat a large pan on medium-high heat and drizzle in the oil. Add your raw meatballs to the pan and let them cook until they have a golden brown on the outside and the middle is cooked through. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a plate to rest. 
  4. Using the same large skillet, brown your grated onions with the grease and oil already in the pan. Add your chopped kale and cook it down for about 6 minutes. 
  5. Take out a large dutch oven. Pour your cooked onions and kale inside and add your cooked meatballs.
  6. Add your vegetable broth, white wine vinegar, roasted pepper and garlic seasoning, and pepper. Stir to distribute everything. 
  7. Place your large pot onto the stove and heat until your soup reaches a boil. Once boiling, lower it to medium heat and cover your pot for 10 minutes to allow it to simmer. 
  8. Uncover the dutch oven and pour in the pearl couscous, making sure to stir it well.
  9. Bring your soup to a boil once more and after it reaches that point, lower the heat again and let it cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Make sure that your couscous is al dente and your soup is ready. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 162Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 373mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 14g

This calculation is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a doctor or dietitian. This calculator is a guide, but makes no guarantee of being exact or fully accurate.

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