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Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Meatballs:
1 pound Neese’s Country Sausage
½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup parsley, minced
1½ teaspoons oregano, minced
½ grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons clarified butter, divided

Soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1¼ cups carrots, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 quarts chicken stock
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup Israeli couscous, cooked
½ pound Tuscan (lacinato) kale, de-stemmed and cut into thin strips

For the meatballs: Combine sausage, breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix well.

Form the mixture into ¾- to 1-inch meatballs and place them on a sheet pan.

Heat 1 tablespoon of clarified butter in a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on 2 or 3 sides, about 4 minutes total.

Transfer meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate. Add remaining butter to skillet and repeat process with remaining meatballs. Note: Meatballs won’t be fully cooked at this point; they’ll finish cooking in the soup.

For the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, and fennel and sauté until veggies have softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.

Pour in chicken stock. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil. Add meatballs and reduce heat to a light boil (about medium or medium-low).

Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the meatballs have cooked through, about 9 minutes. Add couscous and kale and cook for 1 minute longer. Serve warm and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

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