The Mediterranean spiced savory meatballs and couscous pasta pearls with carrots, zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms in a harissa lemon chicken broth.
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Mouthwatering Experience
You will love the taste of the ground chicken recipe I've created. I've used it in the past for my Spicy Chicken Burger with Harissa Eggplant, Portabella Mushrooms, and Onions recipe with warm toasted ciabatta bread. It is so juicy and delicious!
I've paired the spicy chicken mix with harissa again, and this time to make a very comforting chicken meatball soup with couscous that has the texture of smooth, chewy pearls in your mouth. And I love to have chunky vegetables in my soups to make them hearty, so it went well with the zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots that held well.
Of course, some fresh spinach. Another great combination that I love to use is pepper paste and lemon, just like my Green Lentil kale Stew recipe. You could also use harissa to replace the green zhoug pepper paste.
Spicy ground chicken on a pita? Yes! Try the Spicy Arugula Chicken Pita.
Italiano
If you haven't guessed already, this soup recipe was inspired by the Italian Wedding Soup, which has mini beef-pork sausage meatballs in chicken broth with white wine, hearty greens, and parmesan cheese, and sometimes carrots with a pasta called Acini di Pepe, Italian for seeds of the pepper.
Fun Fact or Fiction - The "seeds" may represent fertility, and one of the possible reasons it was served during weddings, hence the name. However, some Italians claim this soup is not popular; it is mainly eaten in the United States. Plus, there is another possible reason for the name, translating from Italian for minestra maritata, which was a soup developed in Spain.
Also, I've noticed many recipes making this dish with other types of pasta, such as orzo, ditalini, etc. To each’s own, I guess. However, it got here; the combination of the meatballs and greens in a clear broth with shredded parm is delicious!
This recipe may not have cheese, pork, or beef, but it is worth serving for any celebration. The tender homemade meatballs also steal the show. Just thinking about this soup while writing this piece makes my mouth water. I'm just in love with the pasta pearls, pepper kick, citrus tang, and hearty vegetables; it also has everything in one pot and is healthier. Let's get cooking!
Is it Italian or Caribbean? You tell me! Pumpkin Gnocchi Chicken Soup and Curry Chicken Gnocchi Soup.
Ingredients
To create this Chicken Meatball Soup, first blend the spice with onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and Italian herb seasoning. Then set the herb mixture aside and begin the prep for the meatballs; if you don't have a food processor, you can use store-bought ground chicken.
In the food processor, you will first blend the onions, jalapenos, and parsley and add them to a mixing bowl. Then blend the chicken breast and add it to the mixing bowl with bread crumbs, an egg, salt and pepper, and half of the spice herb blend and combine well.
Heat a soup pot with olive oil, and using a scoop, create meatballs and sear in the oil on three sides each. In addition, ensure the oil is hot to prevent the ground meat from sticking to the pot. After all the meatballs are seared, remove them from the pot and place them in a dish that can be kept near the stove.
Add more olive oil, saute the garlic, and then splash with white wine. Then, add the carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Finally, add the Israeli couscous and the meatballs back into the boiling broth.
Allow the couscous to cook as instructed by the company, and then finish the dish by boosting the broth's flavor with lemon juice and zest, and harissa paste, stir well and cover, and cook for a couple more minutes to allow the seasoning to infuse and boil away some of the lemon's acidity. Then your chicken meatball soup is ready to serve!
See the chicken meatballs recipe card for quantities.
Quick Tip - Mastering Flavor: Elevating Your Soups and Stews!
Instructions
Uniformly medium-dice the carrots to cook evenly.
The zucchini takes a shorter time to cook and is cut large to cook simultaneously with the carrots.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. Some related detailed steps can be found there.
Substitutions
- Breadcrumbs - Use stale or toasted bread to make homemade breadcrumbs with the moisture dried out. Then, crush it with your hands or chop it into fine pieces using a food processor. You can also finely crumble up or food process the crackers and pretzels. Use Kikkoman Panko Style Coating, Aleia's Best Panko Original, and Jeff Nathan Creations Chef Gourmet Panko Plain for gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Couscous - The gluten-free versions of this type of couscous are rare in the market, and they don't seem to have any great reviews or have been discontinued. In addition, I suggest using a different pasta. Try gluten-free pasta that is tiny in shape, like Orzo, Ditalini, Anellini Pastina, or Stelline. Some gluten-free pasta is also made from lentils, brown rice, quinoa, or corn.
Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Variations
Vegetarian Soup - Make this meal vegetarian using plant-based ground meat patties; skip using the breadcrumbs or eggs when making the meatballs.
A vegetarian delight! Israeli Couscous with Roasted Vegetables and Spicy Basil Romesco Pasta Sauce.
Equipment
- Food Processor - Used for making ground chicken, onion, jalapenos, and parsley. For example, to develop this recipe, I used my small food processor to the KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper, which is tough enough to do the job and small enough to avoid finding space for a new appliance.
- Don't Have a Food Processor? Buy store-bought ground chicken or turkey. Small dice the parsley, onion, and jalapeno pepper. Then combine as instructed in the recipe.
- Medium Mixing Bowl - To mix and make the chicken meatballs.
- Medium Dutch Oven - Used to cook the soup. But if you do not have one, keep an eye on it and stir more frequently. I also recently purchased the Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, and it's been a great experience. It retains heat very well, is clean, and still looks brand new; it's now my favorite pot to make soup and stews. Plus, it can go in the oven. I'm so excited and can't wait to braise in it!
- Medium 2.6 tablespoon Size Scoop - To scoop and form the meatballs. I used the Tuilful Scoop, which comes with three scoops; the medium was the perfect size.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, place the chicken meatball soup in a 2-inch shallow pan to cool down quickly. Do your best also to have the liquid cover the meatballs and vegetables. Then, store in an air-tight sealing container. The soup will last for up to three days.
- Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.
Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Cooking tips
- Prevent Cross-Contamination - Blend the vegetables first, then the chicken in the food processor. This way, you only have to clean the machine once and prevent bacterial growth on the raw vegetables if you do not complete the recipe on the same day. In addition, use a cutting board just for raw poultry; it is easier to clean and keep away from your daily use cutting board that you may use to cut raw fruits and vegetables or prep no cooking items (like sandwiches).
- White Wine Suggestion - I recommend you use Sauvignon Blanc because it can pair with a spicy chicken meatballs recipe due to its dry note. For example, you do not want to use a sweet wine. However, you may try Pinot Gris if you can't find Sauvignon Blanc. To clarify, these are white wines; do not get it confused with Cabernet Sauvignon, which is red.
Don't stop at chicken meatballs. You must try the Mouthwatering Air Fryer Lemon Peper Pine Nuts Turkey Meatballs, then make Turkey Meatball Wraps!
Frequently Asked Questions
Israeli couscous is smaller in size. You can still use pearl couscous, just use the same volume and cook at the time amount instructed. However, some companies may use the two words interchangeably.
Mediterranean Recipes
Looking for other Mediterranean recipes like this? Try these:
- One-Pan Calabrian Chickpea Pasta Recipe | Fast & Flavorful
- Beituti Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl | Quick and Easy
- Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma | Quick with Beituti
- Quick Parsley Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
Poultry Recipes
Looking for other poultry recipes like this? Try these:
- Jerk Fajita Trio: 3 Must-Try Recipes for a Spicy Weeknight Cook-Up
- Air Fryer Chicken and Pork Belly Tacos | Easy & Crispy
- Easy Sheet Pan Jerk Chicken Fajitas | Oven-Roasted Yum
- Quick Spicy Potstickers | Chili Momo Tibetan Style
Video
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Meatballs & Israeli Couscous Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
Herb & Spice Seasoning Blend
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 cup onion small diced
- 2 each jalapeno large chunks
- ½ cup parsley leaves
- 1 pound chicken breast meat large chunks or ground chicken breast
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Rest of Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced or garlic pressed
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 cup carrots medium sliced
- 1 cup zucchini large slices
- 1 cup mushrooms quartered
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 ½ quart low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup Isreali couscous
- ½ lemon zested
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste
Equipment
- Medium Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Make Spice Blend: In a small container, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika powder, and Italian herb seasoning and set aside.
- Make Chicken Meatballs: Blend the onion, jalapenos, and parsley in the food processor, then place in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.
- If you use chicken chunks, blend the chicken in the food processor. Then, add the ground chicken to the bowl with the mixed vegetables and herbs.
- Add and combine the bread crumbs, egg, half of the spice blend, salt, and pepper.
- Cook the Meatballs: Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium heat with olive oil. Using a medium 2.6 tablespoon size scoop, scoop the meatballs and gently place them into the pot, spacing them out. You may have to fry them in two batches.
- Cook them until golden brown, then flip the meatballs over to cook the other side for about 1 minute on each side. Repeat one more time to brown the meatballs on three sides.
- Remove a container from the pan into a holding tray that can be placed near or on the stove. Then scrape and skim any leftover cooked bits from the oil in the pot, and add more oil for the vegetable step.
- Make the Soup: Add and saute the garlic in the oil for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add the white wine and allow most of the alcohol to evaporate for about 30 seconds.
- Add the carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and the rest of the seasoning blend, and cover with a lid. Then, increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
- Once the broth begins to boil, add the meatballs and the couscous, cover, and bring to a simmer. Then, decrease the heat to medium-high and cook the soup for 12 minutes.
- Season the Soup: Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and harissa, taste for seasoning, cover, and cook for another 3 minutes to allow the acidity to reduce.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve immediately in a bowl; this dish can be served with a mixed green salad with vinaigrette and toasted crispy ciabatta bread.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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