Hearty Meatball Soup
This delicious, hearty meatball soup will warm you up during cold or rainy weather, and also nourish your body with nutrients and antioxidants. The meatballs are not greasy and yet soft, juicy and filling, and the broth is delicious as well.
The reason the meatballs in this soup are not greasy is because you won’t need to pan fry them before adding them into the soup. You won’t even need to bake them. This does not mean that the meatballs will be dry and flavorless, quite the opposite, they will be fluffy and juicy because they will be able to absorb the water from the soup base.
Ingredients
About 500 grams (1lb) of ground beef (preferred 80% lean)
3 tablespoons of your favorite rice, washed and soaked for at least 30 minutes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped into small cubes
1 medium carrot, grated
some salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 egg
some lemon juice (optional)
Directions
To make the meatballs, combine the ground beef with 1/2 of teaspoon of salt, pinch of black pepper, some chopped parsley, egg and rice. Then place some meat into the palms of your hands and roll it into a ball. I prefer to use medium sized meatballs, which are about 1.5 inches (4cm) in diameter. Repeat until you use all of the meat.
Boil approximately 2 Liters of water (or 8.5 cups). Reduce the heat to low, and add meatballs slowly and gently, one by one. Then add potatoes and let the broth simmer and absorb all of the flavors.
In the meantime, in a separate pan, heat up olive oil and sauté finely chopped onions. Once onions become caramelized and start to turn golden, add grated carrot, tomato paste and minced garlic. Sautee the vegetables for about 10 minutes and then add butter. As soon as the butter melts, add the entire veggie mixture to the soup.
Add all of the sauteed vegetables from step 3 to the soup. Taste the broth and add the desired amount of salt and black pepper. Then simmer the soup for additional 10 minutes.
By the meatballs in the soup should be completely cooked, which required a total time of about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and add chopped parsley for garnish. If the soup needs more acidity, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Enjoy the soup on its own or with some sour cream.