Jackson's Meatball Soup (Family Bites)

This week's soup is courtesy of Jackson, who's been dying to make something like this ever since he saw it tucked within the pages of one of my food magazines. I was a little skeptical, as only a few days before he declared soup the worst food ever made, and begged me not to serve it to him anymore. For those of you still in the toddler or little kid phase, please note that age nine is fraught with mind-changes and personality confusion.

I could see what appealed to him about this particular soup though. It's like eating nachos in a slurpy bowl of broth. There's turkey meatballs, black beans, crisp corn, smoky chili powder and cumin, all garnished with sour cream, cheddar cheese and tortilla chips. I had a few leeks and celery ribs that were past their prime, so we tossed those in along with a few potatoes, which Jackson thought would enhance the dish. I think he's right.

Jackson's Meatball Soup (heavily adapted from Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup panko
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
1 cup chopped leeks
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
To garnish: Sour cream, grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, tortilla chips

Combine the ground turkey, egg yolk, panko, salt, 1/2 teaspoon each chili powder and cumin, and garlic in a mixing bowl and combine well. Shape the meat into golf ball-sized meatballs and set aside.

Heat the oil in a dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Place the meatballs in the pot and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per size. Do this in batches if necessary. When all of the meatballs have been seared, transfer them to a plate and set aside.

Add the leeks, celery, potatoes, corn and beans to pot. Season with remaining chili powder and cumin and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and water and bring the pot of soup to a bowl. Turn the heat down to medium-low and partially cover the pot with a lid. Allow to cook for 20 minutes.

Add the meatballs back to the pot and cover. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Check the seasonings of the soup and add more chili powder, cumin or salt if desired.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream, grated cheese and tortilla chips.