Lemony Orzo Soup with Spinach and Chicken Mushroom Meatballs

For roasted cremini mushrooms, place two making sheets in oven and preheat to 400 F. In large bowl, toss mushrooms with olive oil and Creole seasoning; spread in an even layer on heated baking sheets. Bake on middle rack 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until mushrooms are tender and quite dry. (They will reduce in volume by half). Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 

Grind cooled mushrooms in grinder or food processor fitted with the steel blade until chopped fine (to the size of hamburger) but still retaining some texture.

For chicken meatballs, in medium bowl, combine ground chicken, ground roasted mushrooms, herbs and lemon zest. Heat olive oil in saute pan. Add onion and saute until sweet and translucent. Add garlic and seasonings; saute another 30 seconds. Transfer to shallow bowl to quickly cool; add to chicken-mushroom mixture.

Stir milk, egg, grated feta and panko together and let rest 5 minutes to make a panade (gives perfect texture to the meatballs). Add to chicken-mushroom mixture and gently combine without squeezing too hard or overworking the meat. Lightly wet palms and shape mixture into small balls, a little smaller than the size of a golf ball, about 1½ inches in diameter or 1 ounce each. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For soup, heat oil in large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add diced onion, celery, carrot and sliced mushrooms, cooking until they begin to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic, seasonings, turmeric, orzo and red-pepper flakes; stir to incorporate until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

While soup is simmering, brown prepared meatballs under a broiler. Brown one side, then flip over to brown other side. Add meatballs to simmering soup, right as orzo has cooked to al dente. Simmer another 4 to 5 minutes to finish cooking meatballs; remove from heat.

Stir in spinach and lemon juice until spinach is just wilted, about 2 minutes more. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To serve, spoon into bowls. Garnish with red chili flakes, crumbled feta cheese, lemon and fresh herbs, if desired.