Chicken Vegetable Soup with Ginger Meatballs
If ever there was a dish that proved I wasn’t Italian, it’s meatballs. And that’s kind of embarrassing, because not only do I love to make Italian food, I even studied (okay, suffered, but it amounted to the same thing) under an Italian signora on the Isle of Elba. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never figure out how to keep my meatballs from falling apart, until I tried basmati rice. Now my meatballs not only taste great, they also don’t disintegrate on the fork. These are actually mini meatballs, closer to the Latin-American version known as albondiguitas, with the ginger providing a little zing. If timing is an issue, the meatballs can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until you’re ready to cook them. Also, this recipe makes twice as many meatballs as you’ll need for the soup. To save the remainder for later, place them in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Meatballs
Soup
Preparation
Step 1
To make the meatballs, line a sheet pan with wax paper. Combine the turkey, ginger, garlic, parsley, salt, cayenne, egg, and rice in a bowl and mix with your hands or a spatula until well combined. Don’t overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be tough.
Step 2
Wet the palms of your hands so the mixture doesn’t stick, roll it into 1-inch balls, and place them on the prepared pan.
Step 3
To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and continue sautéing for about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth to deglaze the pot and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the remaining 7 1/2 cups broth and another 1/4 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, then gently transfer half of the meatballs into the simmering broth. (Refrigerate or freeze the remainder to use later.) Cover and allow the meatballs to simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 5
Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes more, then stir in the parsley and basil. Serve each bowl garnished with a wedge of lime.
variation
Step 6
If you aren’t a pea person, use this recipe as an opportunity to get some dark leafy greens into your life. Simply replace the peas with 1 cup of baby spinach leaves.
storage
Step 7
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
nutrition information
Step 8
(per serving)
Step 9
Calories: 210
Step 10
Total Fat: 7g (1.6g saturated, 3.4g monounsaturated)
Step 11
Carbohydrates: 23g
Step 12
Protein: 15g
Step 13
Fiber: 3g
Step 14
Sodium: 380mg
