Dishing Up the Dirt

Spaghetti Squash & Kale Soup with Meatballs

This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All opinions are my own.

We’ve got an abundance of spaghetti squash storing in the barn and since the snow all melted we’re still harvesting kale out from the field. It’s hard to believe that it’s January at the farm and we’re able to harvest fall greens that are outside, but damn…We’ll take it!

This hearty stew is a wonderful recipe to turn to during these long, dark months of winter. I’ve never thought to add spaghetti squash to a soup before but I’m so happy that I did. This stew is absolutely delicious. The squash adds a lovely flavor and texture and the meatballs are off the hook. Instead of using traditional breadcrumbs in my meatballs I used some local hazelnut flour from Bob’s Red Mill (you can use almond flour in place) which added a lovely (but subtle) nutty flavor to the meatballs. This soup was a crowd pleaser at the farm and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did. Grab a spoon and dig in!

Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm

Spaghetti Squash & Kale Soup with Meatballs

Prep Time: 20 minutes    Cook Time: 30 minutes    Serves: 6

Spaghetti Squash
  • 1 medium sized spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeded
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Meatballs
  • 3/4 cup blanched hazelnut flour (or almond flour)
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
Soup
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium sized red onions, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 5 cups chicken bone broth or stock
  • 20 meatballs (recipe above)
  • 1 bunch of kale, tough stems removed and torn into bite size pieces

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Drizzle a little oil over the squash halves and place them cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast the squash for about 35-40 minutes or until tender. When the squash is cool enough to handle use a fork to shred it into "spaghetti" like strands. Set aside.
  2. Increase the oven temperature to 425F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl combine the hazelnut flour and chicken stock. Set aside so the mixture has time to absorb the moisture.
  4. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add butter, onions, garlic and a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and turning golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
  5. In the same bowl that has the hazelnut flour and chicken stock, add the cooked onions & garlic, ground beef, ground pork, 2 eggs, parsley, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix until completely combined.
  6. Use a large spoon to scoop out meatballs, (about 3 tablespoons worth) and use hands to roll into balls. Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and cook for about 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.
  7. While meatballs cook heat a large dutch oven or soup pan over medium heat. Add the butter and once it's melted add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle in the crushed red pepper flakes and add in the chicken stock and cooked meatballs. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the squash and kale and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and enjoy.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary


Leave a Reply

5 thoughts on “Spaghetti Squash & Kale Soup with Meatballs

  1. Gail says:

    One of my favorite recipes is your Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Sun-Dried Tomatoes.
    This looks good too.

  2. Melissa Sanborn says:

    We loved this recipe! We tried it tonight and think it’s a lovely dish for the cold winter nights!

  3. Autumn Smith says:

    I have been making this recipe for months now and couldn’t be more grateful that you posted it! I crave it if we’ve gone two weeks without it. Well done!

  4. Jen Whiteside says:

    This is the best recipe!! love making it through the cold winter.

  5. Kelsey says:

    This looks lovely! Just wanted to point out that the recipe says it takes 30 minutes to cook but with all of these steps (and the squash alone taking 40 minutes to cook) that it’s quite a bit more than that. Can’t wait to make it!

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