FRESH FROM FLORIDA: Whip Up a Fresh Florida Endive and Vegetable Meatball Soup – Delicious!

Endive is a leaf vegetable belonging to the genus Cichorium, which includes several similar bitter-leafed vegetables

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Fresh from Florida shares how to make Fresh Florida endive and vegetable meatball soup.

Endive is a leaf vegetable belonging to the genus Cichorium, which includes several similar bitter-leafed vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs

■ 1 pound Florida lean ground beef

■ 1 cup Florida yellow squash, grated fine

■ 1 cup Florida zucchini, grated fine

■ 1 cup Florida mushroom, chopped fine

■ 1 cup Florida carrot, shredded fine

■ 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

■ 1 egg

■ 1/2 cup milk

■ 1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning (your favorite)

■ 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

■ Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Soup

■ 1 head Florida curly endive, rinsed and chopped

■ 1 cup Florida celery, rinsed and diced small

■ 2 cups Florida carrots, peeled and diced small

■ 1 can red kidney beans, drained

■ 10 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

■ 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced

■ 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano), chopped fine

■ Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

■ 1 tablespoon olive oil

■ Parmesan cheese for garnish, grated

PREPARATION

Meatballs
■ In a large mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, seasoning blend, and panko. Stir until well combined. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir the mixture again.

■ Add the ground beef and vegetables to the breadcrumb mixture. Continue to mix the beef with all the ingredients, until everything is uniformly incorporated. Roll the meatball mixture into a small bite-sized ball and keep refrigerated until used.

Soup
■ Preheat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the preheated pot. Carefully add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook ingredients for 5 to 7 minutes while stirring occasionally.

■ Add the garlic and freshly chopped herbs and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the broth to the cooking ingredients in the pot. Bring ingredients to a light boil and turn the heat down to a slow boil. Add the raw bite-sized meatballs to the simmering soup.

■ And let cook for another 10 minutes. Add the chopped curly Florida endive.

■ Taste soup and adjust seasoning with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

■ Serve soup hot garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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