By Sueson Vess

Meatball Dumpling Soup with Spinach

SERVES 4 TO 6

Don’t let liver as an ingredient deter you from trying this recipe. These meatball dumplings are delicious in this soup or alone. No one will suspect they’re eating nutrient-dense liver, rich in vitamins A and B, essential fatty acids and minerals. Using homemade stock adds more flavor to this soup.

1/4 cup finely minced onion

1/4 cup finely minced fennel bulb (stalks and fronds removed)

1 tablespoon oil

2-3 ounces calf's liver (preferably

grass-fed beef)

1 pound ground beef (may

substitute ground turkey or chicken)

1 small apple, peeled, cored, grated or finely minced

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

4 cups gluten-free chicken stock

1 pound spinach

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large skillet, sauté onion and fennel in oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Thoroughly puree raw liver in a food processor.

3. In a large bowl, combine pureed liver, uncooked ground beef, onion, fennel, apple, cinnamon and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Form meat mixture into 24 to 30 walnut-size meatball dumplings. Set aside.

4. In a large stockpot, bring chicken stock to a boil.

5. Add meatball dumplings and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

6. Add spinach and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Each serving contains 223 calories, 11g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 74mg cholesterol, 9g carbohydrate, 359mg sodium, 2g fiber, 22g protein.

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