Italian Parsley Soup With Ground Beef (30 Minutes)
This Italian parsley soup with ground beef is a new way to enjoy your parsley. It's a good soup to have when you want a healthy filling quick meal.
Equipment
Large stockpot or Dutch oven
Immersion blender (stick blender)
Chef's knife and cutting board
Citrus juicer or reamer
Separate skillet for browning ground beef
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil - 15ml
3 large green onions - scallions or green shallots
2 cloves garlic
3 cups vegetable stock - 720ml; vegetable broth or vegetable bouillon
½ cup parsley - fresh flat-leaf ; roughly chopped, 25g
½ cup spinach - fresh ; roughly chopped, 15g
1 cup ground beef - cooked, 225g; also called minced beef
½ cup brown rice - cooked, 100g
1 medium lemon- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt - plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper - plus more to taste
For garnish (optional)
- 1 tablespoon parsley - fresh flat-leaf ; for garnish
- ¼ cup shaved raw asparagus - optional, for crunch
- 2 wedges lemon - for serving
Instructions
- Roughly chop the green onions and garlic and combine with the olive oil in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Sauté until the onions are soft and the garlic is lightly browned.1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 large green onions, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the vegetable stock, parsley, and spinach. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes until the greens are wilted.3 cups vegetable stock, 1/2 cup parsley, 1/2 cup spinach
- Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth.
- Return the pot to medium heat. Stir in the cooked ground beef and cooked brown rice. Season generously with salt and pepper. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until everything is heated through.1 cup ground beef, 1/2 cup brown rice, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Remove from heat and stir in the juice of one lemon.1 medium lemon
- Ladle into bowls and top with fresh chopped parsley and a wedge of lemon. Optionally, add a few shaved raw asparagus ribbons for crunch.1 tablespoon parsley, 1/4 cup shaved raw asparagus, 2 wedges lemon
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add a splash of water or stock when reheating as the rice absorbs liquid overnight.
Freezing: Freeze the blended green broth and beef without the rice for up to 2 months. Stir in freshly cooked rice when reheating — frozen rice turns mushy.
Substitutions: Use ground turkey or ground chicken for a leaner version. For vegetarian, replace the beef with cooked white beans or chickpeas. White rice or orzo can replace brown rice.
Pro Tips: Add the lemon juice off the heat — this preserves the citrus brightness that ties the whole soup together. Heat dulls it within seconds. Cook the ground beef to 160°F / 71°C in a separate pan before adding to the soup. The brief simmer in the pot is not enough to cook raw meat safely. Prep time assumes beef and rice are already cooked.
Make-Ahead: Make the blended green broth up to a day ahead and refrigerate. When ready to eat, reheat the broth, stir in freshly cooked beef and rice, season, and finish with lemon juice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 596kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 26gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 1805mgPotassium: 811mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3400IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 120mgIron: 6mg
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