Healthy Chicken Meatball Soup

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 pound extra lean Miller Poultry ground chicken breast
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

For the soup:

  • olive oil
  • 1 cup diced white onion
  • 1 cup sliced carrot
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup dry orzo pasta
  • 4 cups swiss chard, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cook Time: 30 min

Cooking Instructions

  1. Mix together the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl with your hands. Form into 1-inch meatballs (You will end up with around 15-20 total).
  2. In a separate large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sear the meatballs for 5 minutes total, making sure to move them around so all sides become golden brown. Remove from the pot and set aside.
  3. In the same pot, heat another tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until tender, about 3-4 minutes, stirring.
  4. Add the chicken broth and water to the pot, cover and turn to high heat. Once boiling, add the orzo and meatballs. Cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes, or until the orzo is tender.
  5. Lastly, add the Swiss chard, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the chard has wilted, then add the Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 pound extra lean Miller Poultry ground chicken breast
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

For the soup:

  • olive oil
  • 1 cup diced white onion
  • 1 cup sliced carrot
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup dry orzo pasta
  • 4 cups swiss chard, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cook Time: 30 min

Cooking Instructions

  1. Mix together the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl with your hands. Form into 1-inch meatballs (You will end up with around 15-20 total).
  2. In a separate large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sear the meatballs for 5 minutes total, making sure to move them around so all sides become golden brown. Remove from the pot and set aside.
  3. In the same pot, heat another tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until tender, about 3-4 minutes, stirring.
  4. Add the chicken broth and water to the pot, cover and turn to high heat. Once boiling, add the orzo and meatballs. Cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes, or until the orzo is tender.
  5. Lastly, add the Swiss chard, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the chard has wilted, then add the Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Enjoy!

Handling & Preparation

Cooking Tips

Buying
    • When purchasing any chicken, be sure to pick it up at the end of your shopping experience.
    • Use a plastic bag, often found just a few feet away, to pickup and transport the chicken. This will protect other items in your cart.
    • Try to head straight home to keep the chicken cold and place in your refrigerator right away.
    • Look for product that is still within the use by date
    • When purchasing larger quantities, what you do not use within two days, portion and freeze quickly for a later date.

Handling
    • Always store chicken below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Above 40F, bacteria begin to grow and will spoil the chicken.
    • Use any chicken within two days of purchase.
    • When preparing
      • Use a paper towel to pat dry any chicken. Do not wash in the sink as it will spread bacteria to your sink.
      • Use dedicated meat and poultry cutting surfaces and utensils to avoid cross contamination
      • Wash all surfaces after handling raw chicken but before handling cooked to avoid contamination
    • Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit for boneless items and 180 degrees Fahrenheit for bone-in items.

For more tips, do’s and don’ts please visit:

Chicken Pieces
Description		 Internal Thermometer Temperate Approximate Cooking Time
(Per Pound) at 350°F
Bone-In
Leg Quarters
Thighs
Breast/Split Breast		 170°F 15-20 minutes
15-20 minutes
20-25 minutes
Boneless
Thighs
Breast/Split Breast
Tender Strips		 165°F 10-15 minutes
15-20 minutes
10 minutes
 Whole Chicken
Fryer/Broiler 3-4 lbs
Roaster 5-7 lbs		  180°F  1 – ½ hours
1 ½ – 2 ¼ hours

Handling & Preparation

Cooking Tips

Buying
    • When purchasing any chicken, be sure to pick it up at the end of your shopping experience.
    • Use a plastic bag, often found just a few feet away, to pickup and transport the chicken. This will protect other items in your cart.
    • Try to head straight home to keep the chicken cold and place in your refrigerator right away.
    • Look for product that is still within the use by date
    • When purchasing larger quantities, what you do not use within two days, portion and freeze quickly for a later date.

Handling
    • Always store chicken below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Above 40F, bacteria begin to grow and will spoil the chicken.
    • Use any chicken within two days of purchase.
    • When preparing
      • Use a paper towel to pat dry any chicken. Do not wash in the sink as it will spread bacteria to your sink.
      • Use dedicated meat and poultry cutting surfaces and utensils to avoid cross contamination
      • Wash all surfaces after handling raw chicken but before handling cooked to avoid contamination
    • Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit for boneless items and 180 degrees Fahrenheit for bone-in items.

For more tips, do’s and don’ts please visit:

Bone-In Chicken:

Cook at 350ºF until internal thermometer temperature of chicken is 170ºF

  • Leg quarters – 15-20 minutes per pound
  • Thighs – 15-20 minutes per pound
  • Breast/Split Breast – 20-25 minutes per pound

Boneless Chicken:

Cook at 350ºF until internal thermometer temperature of chicken is 165ºF

  • Thighs – 10-15 minutes per pound
  • Breast/Split Breast – 15-20 minutes per pound
  • Tender Strips – 10 minutes per pound

Whole Chicken:

Cook at 350ºF until internal thermometer temperature of chicken is 180ºF

  • Fryer/Boiler 3-4 lbs – 1.5 hours per pound
  • Roaster 5-7 lbs – 1.5-2.25 hours per pound