Meatball soup

The first time I made meatball soup was on a day when I wanted something classic but wasn't in the mood for complicated dishes. I realized that it is actually one of the simplest soups, but the idea of shaping the meatballs seemed laborious. After the first test, it became clear to me that it’s not intimidating and that it deserves a spot on the list of recurring recipes, especially for cold days or when I crave a familiar taste.

Quick Info

Total time: about 1 hour and 20 minutes (including cleaning, chopping, and boiling)
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy to medium

Ingredients

- 500 g minced pork (for meatballs, a mix of pork and beef can also be used)
- 3 tablespoons round rice
- 1 egg
- 1 bunch of parsley (half for the meatballs, half for finishing)
- salt, pepper to taste

For the soup:
- 1 medium onion (100 g)
- 1 large carrot (120 g)
- 1 red bell pepper (approx. 100-120 g)
- 2.5 liters of water
- 250 ml borscht (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (or tomato puree)
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus to taste)
- 2-3 tablespoons oil

Optional: sour cream and hot pepper, for serving

Preparation method

1. First, wash the rice well in a sieve, then soak it in cold water for about 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables: peel the onion, carrot, and bell pepper, and chop them into small cubes or grate the carrot.

2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. They don't need to brown, just soften slightly. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to prevent burning.

3. When the vegetables are softened, pour in the 2.5 liters of water and add a teaspoon of salt. Partially cover and let it simmer over low to medium heat.

4. While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the meatballs. In a bowl, mix the minced meat, drained rice, egg, half of the chopped parsley, salt, and pepper (about 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground pepper). Mix well by hand or with a spoon until homogeneous.

5. Shape small meatballs, about the size of a walnut. You can place them on a plate or cutting board, sprinkling a little water beforehand to prevent sticking.

6. When the vegetables are almost cooked (after 20-25 minutes of boiling), add the meatballs one by one directly into the pot. A small tip: use a spoon and let them slide gently into the water to avoid disintegration. After adding all the meatballs, let the soup simmer over low heat, partially covered, for another 25-30 minutes.

7. Check one meatball to see if it’s cooked through (cut one in half after 20 minutes). If the meatballs are cooked, add the tomato paste or puree and the borscht, to taste. If you want a more sour soup, you can add a little more borscht at the end after tasting.

8. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt or borscht if needed.

9. Finally, turn off the heat and sprinkle the remaining chopped parsley on top.

10. Serve the soup hot, plain or with sour cream and hot pepper if you like.

Why I make this recipe often

It's a soup made from inexpensive and easy-to-find ingredients. It keeps well in the fridge and is even better the next day. It's hearty, filling, and not difficult to personalize. It works for both lunch and dinner. You don't need much cooking skill, just patience for shaping the meatballs.

Tips

- Use round rice, not pre-cooked.
- The meat shouldn't be too lean - a bit of fat adds flavor and tenderness to the meatballs.
- When shaping the meatballs, if the mixture is too soft, add a bit of breadcrumbs or a teaspoon of flour.
- Don’t drop the meatballs into the soup when the water is boiling like for tea, but rather when it’s gently simmering, to avoid them breaking apart.
- Don’t stir in the pot immediately after adding the meatballs; let them set on the surface.

Substitutions

- You can use beef or a pork-beef mix for the meatballs.
- Borscht can be replaced with lemon juice, vinegar, or tomato juice if you don’t have borscht.
- If you don’t have tomato paste, use 2 peeled and diced tomatoes added with the vegetables.

Variations

- For more flavorful meatballs, you can add dill or lovage to the mixture.
- There are also variations with celery or parsnip in the vegetable base.
- If you want a clearer soup, add the tomato paste at the end or use less.
- Some prefer to add a few sprigs of thyme or bay leaf while boiling (I don’t use them).

Serving ideas

- With sour cream and fresh or pickled hot pepper.
- With homemade bread or polenta.
- A sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley added before serving gives a fresh taste.

Frequently asked questions

Does the meat need to be finely minced for the meatballs?
It’s not mandatory, but meat that has been ground only once is more suitable. If it’s too finely ground, the meatballs come out denser.

How do I prevent the meatballs from falling apart?
Mix the mixture well and add the egg. Cook over low heat and don’t stir in the first 10 minutes after adding them.

If I don’t have borscht, what can I use to sour it?
You can add lemon juice (3-4 tablespoons), vinegar, or tomato juice. Taste as you go.

Can I freeze the meatball soup?
I don’t recommend freezing the whole soup because the meatballs change texture. You can freeze only the raw meatballs after shaping them.

Nutritional values

For a serving of about 350 ml:
- Energy: 220-250 kcal
- Protein: 15-18 g
- Fat: 12-15 g
- Carbohydrates: 12-14 g

Values may vary depending on the amount of meat, rice, and sour cream used when serving.

Storage and reheating

The soup can be stored in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days. For reheating, put only what you consume in a small pot and heat over medium heat without boiling hard. If it thickens too much, you can add a little water or borscht. Sour cream is only added when serving, not directly in the pot.

Meatballs: We mix minced meat with puffed rice, an egg to bind the mixture, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. We chop the onion, pepper, and carrot, grate them, and sauté them. We also add a little water from time to time to steam them, and after they are sautéed, we add about 2.5 liters of water and salt to taste. When the water comes to a boil and the vegetables are cooked, we add the meatballs and let them simmer. When they are almost cooked, we add tomato paste and borscht to taste, and towards the end, a sprinkle of parsley. It can be served with a hot pepper or sour cream, as desired.

 Ingredients: 1/2 kg minced pork 3 tablespoons of rice 1 onion 1 carrot 1 bell pepper 1 egg borscht salt and pepper parsley

 Tags:  meatball soup