Meatball Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup (6 oz/185 g) diced fresh or canned tomatoes with their juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large fresh sage leaves
• 2 cups (15 oz/425 g) drained canned or cooked cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
• 2 cups (6 oz/185 g) packed shredded kale or chard
• 1 cup (4 oz/125 g) tubettini or other small dried pasta shape
• Grated parmesan cheese for garnish
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground turkey (or pork)
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 cup fresh spinach, very finely chopped
• ¾ cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper