Easy Chicken Meatball Minestrone

I've been concentrating on a bit more healthy eating these days and this easy, tasty soup is a pain free way to help. Beans for fiber, spinach and other veggies for the old vitamins and low fat chicken meatballs for protein; hey you can't call that unhealthy!! We'll not discuss what I had for dessert afterward though. I'll leave the other side of the coin for another day. ;)

Meatballs
1 ½ pound lean ground chicken
½ pound clean chicken sausage
1 cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp ground sage
1 tbsp dried summer savoury
1 tsp crushed fennel seed
1 beaten egg

Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes before adding to all the remaining ingredients and mix well. This will be a loose mixture but as long as you can form it into balls, it will be okay. Add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too soft. Form into small balls and fry in a large heated skillet with 2 tbsp oil added. Fry all the meatballs until completely cooked and nicely browned. Deglaze the pan with a little chicken stock and add to a large pot along with:

2 litres chicken stock
1 diced onion
3 cloves minced garlic
3 large carrots cut in sticks or coins
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
2 tbsp summer savoury

Simmer together for 20 minutes before adding

2 cups baby spinach leaves
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Simmer only for a minute or two more before serving.