It’s cold outside. Like 19 degrees and 3″ of snow cold outside. My pajamas, Netflix and some comfort food is calling my name! But alas, I have work to do. Because I work from home, I can wear my pajamas while I type away on this blog post! Netflix can play in the background. And my comfort food for the day? My hearty and chill crushing Skinny Slow Cooker Meatball Soup Recipe!
Because we had a houseful of kids when I was growing up, money was tight. Mom was a wiz at making a dollar stretch. One way to get the most from her food allowance was to make meals in bulk. This means we had a lot of spaghetti, mac and cheese casserole and soup. We had gallons of soup, especially in the winter. One of my favorites was mom’s meatball soup.
When I was a kid, watching my calories and grams of fat and carbs was nothing I knew of. As I have gotten older, I have become a nutrient nazi. As I have gained weight over the years and have recently had a diabetes diagnosis, it is a must. Now I have a mobile app to keep track of every carb, calories, gram of fat, protein and fiber that goes in my mouth. This has lead to some tweaking of several of my mom’s recipes. So now her Meatball Soup has become my Skinny Slow Cooker Meatball Soup Recipe!
I have found making recipes “skinny” was easier than I imagined. I read labels and do online research for making healthy swaps. A high percentage of the time, we don’t notice a huge change. In many instances, the flavor profile has increased, which I love! The only thing I have missed was dessert. With my addictive personality, I find it best to leave all those sugary foods alone. For me, it’s like the Lay’s commercial…I can’t eat just one!
For my mom’s Meatball Soup, I made a few changes to make it into my Skinny Slow Cooker Meatball Soup Recipe. Instead of white rice, I use brown rice instead. Instead of ground beef or sausage, I use ground turkey for the meatballs. Just add additional spices if you feel the turkey needs a bit of added flavor. Instead of white potatoes, you can switch it with butternut squash. I am just not a fan, so I leave most of the potatoes for my husband to eat. The only other advice I have when you make this soup is to make a huge pot. It goes quickly, so you will want plenty on hand. If you have extra, it freezes well!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup diced potatoes or white navy beans
- 1 bag of frozen peas and carrots
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 can beef broth
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
Instructions
- In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add your ground turkey, rice, salt, pepper, and oregano. Mix well and form into 1″ balls. Set aside.
- In your slow cooker, add remaining ingredients.. Mix well. Add meatballs. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- Serve immediately with crusty wheat bread and enjoy!
https://kickingitwithkelly.com/recipe/food/skinny-slow-cooker-meatball-soup-recipe
What is your favorite soup? If it is high in fat and calories, how could you make it a “skinny” version of itself?
