​Most Italian Meatball Soup recipes contain crusty bread and orzo pasta in addition to the meatballs and veggies, so in order to ensure your best fitness results we’ve left those high-calorie, high-carb ingredients out of this delicious recipe. Instead we’ve filled this comforting soup with wholesome ingredients like sweet potato, chickpeas, kale, tomatoes and onion. Serve hot and enjoy!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Servings: 10

1 lb loose Italian sausage
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 (5 oz) package baby kale

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Form the sausage into 40 small meatballs using about a teaspoon of sausage per meatball. Place the meatballs on one of the prepared baking sheets and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl toss the diced sweet potato with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread the sweet potato over the remaining baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until tender.

4. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, sea salt and red pepper flakes. Partially cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are soft. Increase the heat to high.

5. Deglaze the pot with the wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and sweet potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, 8-12 minutes.

6. Stir in the meatballs, chickpeas and the kale until wilted. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Enjoy!

Nutrition
One serving equals: 100 calories, 6g fat, 8g carbohydrate, 1g sugar, 46mg sodium, 3g fiber, and 5g protein.