Light Italian Wedding Soup

But first, la Butterbean ...
 We put her down for a nap the other day and she was quiet for a good half hour, then I heard her giggling and talking to her stuffed animals.  I let it go on for a bit then peeked in to check ..

"Decorations Mama!  I did it!"
And Mooch loves a photo op.

This recipe was featured in Everyday Food, but I swapped in and out a few ingredients.  Martha put pasta in hers but I like just the beans a lot better.

Italian Wedding Soup

1 lb ground turkey
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 c panko bread crumbs
2 Tb olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 large chopped onion
1 lb kale, stems trimmed and chopped into bite sized pieces
1 can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 c fresh grated Parmesan cheese
29 oz chicken broth

First, make the meatballs.  Combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, garlic, egg, and 1/4 c of the Parmesan. Form into small meatballs, set aside on plate.  In a large stock pot heat oil over medium heat, then add onion and saute until translucent.  Add chicken broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil.  Add meatballs and turn the heat down to medium, allow meatballs to cook until they float to the surface and are no longer pink.  Add the cannelini beans and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the kale and cook another 8-10 minutes.  Serve topped with remainder of Parmesan, and if you like, a big hunk of crusty bread.

So easy and SO good - we call this "the big bowl of health".  If you don't like kale you can swap in spinach or another green - just lessen the cooking time because they are less fibrous.  The biggest pain in the butt is making the meatballs, but luckily Mooch likes to have a job to do and jumps at the chance to help out.
Here is the finished product, brought in yesterday for my lunch with some leftover olive & rosemary foccaccia: