Meatball Soup in a Multicooker

Name: Meatball Soup in a Multicooker - Despina C.
Ingredients: For meatballs: 1/2 chopped onion; 250 g minced chicken; 2 potatoes; 50 g rice; 1 egg. For soup: 2 liters of water; 1/2 chopped onion; 1 carrot; 300 ml borscht; herbs; salt and pepper to taste.

Children - Meatball Soup in a Multicooker by Despina C. - Recipia

Meatball soup in a multicooker is made in stages, directly in the pot of the appliance. The vegetables are boiled first, then the meatballs and rice are added, followed by the potatoes, borscht with the vegetables, and finally, the lovage. For this recipe, I used the STEW program set for 60 minutes. It is important not to choose just 45 minutes, as the vegetables won’t have enough time to cook properly. QUICK INFO Total time: 60 minutes for cooking in the multicooker Preparation time: not specified in the original recipe Cooking time: 60 minutes Servings: not specified; the quantity is for one pot of soup Difficulty: easy Recipe type: meatball soup in a multicooker Program used: STEW INGREDIENTS For the meatballs 1/2 onion, chopped 250 g ground chicken 50 g rice 1 egg For the soup 2 liters of water 1/2 onion, chopped 1 carrot 2 potatoes 300 ml borscht Vegetables Salt and pepper, to taste For finishing Lovage In the original recipe, the 2 potatoes are listed under the ingredients for the meatballs, but in the preparation steps, they are added to the soup after the meatballs and rice. I followed the order in the steps and listed them under the soup ingredients, as they are used there. PREPARATION METHOD 1. Prepare the ingredients for the meatballs. In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, chopped onion, rice, and egg. Season with salt and pepper, then mix until the composition is homogeneous. 2. From the obtained mixture, form the meatballs. No exact size is specified, so you can make them of a regular size, so they cook within the time indicated in the recipe. 3. Prepare the vegetables for the soup. Chop the onion, prepare the carrot to be put in the pot, and peel and cut the potatoes. The recipe does not specify the cutting shape, so it is sufficient to cut them appropriately for a soup. 4. Place the 2 liters of water, onion, and carrot in the multicooker pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. 5. Select the STEW program and set the time to 60 minutes. Start the appliance and let the vegetables cook in the first stage. 6. After 30 minutes, add the meatballs and rice to the pot. These are added halfway through the cooking time so they have time to cook together with the soup. 7. After another 10 minutes, add the potatoes. At this point, 40 minutes have passed since starting the program, and there are 20 minutes left until the end. 8. After another 10 minutes, when 50 minutes have passed since the start, add the 300 ml of borscht and the vegetables. 9. With 5 minutes left before the program ends, add the lovage. 10. Let the multicooker complete the program. After 60 minutes, the appliance stops cooking, and the soup is ready. The order of the ingredients is important. The borscht and vegetables are added toward the end, and the lovage is added in the last 5 minutes. This way, each ingredient is added at the right moment in the recipe for the Philips multicooker. Why I make this recipe often Meatball soup in a multicooker is useful when you want to cook without standing next to the pot constantly. The STEW program does all the boiling in one pot, and the ingredients are added at clear intervals: after 30 minutes, after 40 minutes, after 50 minutes, and then 5 minutes before the end. Another advantage is that the cooking time can be easily tracked. From the experience of this recipe, the 60 minutes are more suitable than the 45 minutes indicated in the appliance's manual for this preparation, as the vegetables need more time. TIPS Use the STEW program set to 60 minutes, not 45 minutes. The 60 minutes are recommended in the original recipe for the vegetables to cook sufficiently. Follow the moments for adding the ingredients. The meatballs and rice are added after the first 30 minutes, the potatoes after another 10 minutes, and the borscht and vegetables after another 10 minutes. The lovage is added in the last 5 minutes of cooking, not from the beginning. Salt and pepper are used for seasoning. The amount is not specified, so adjust to taste. If you prepare the meatballs before starting the appliance, it is easier to have them ready when the first 30 minutes are up. SUBSTITUTIONS The meat used in the original recipe is ground chicken. The source does not specify other types of meat, so the basic recipe should be made with chicken to maintain the described proportions and flavor. For borscht, it is recommended to use the specified amount, which is 300 ml. No alternative is mentioned in the recipe. VARIATIONS The recipe can be kept exactly as presented: meatballs made from chicken, rice, onion, and egg, in a soup with carrot, potatoes, borscht, vegetables, and lovage. If you want to modify the flavor, changes should be made carefully, as the source does not provide other quantities or ingredients. It is safest to keep the same cooking sequence and only adjust the salt or pepper. SERVING IDEAS The soup is served hot after the STEW program is completed. It can be placed directly in a bowl, with meatballs, rice, potatoes, and vegetables. The lovage added in the last minutes remains in the soup and gives it a specific aroma. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What program is used for meatball soup in the multicooker? The STEW program is used. The time must be set to 60 minutes. 2. Why are 45 minutes not enough? The original recipe states that the vegetables need more time to cook. Therefore, it is recommended to select 60 minutes, even though the appliance manual mentions a time of 45 minutes. 3. When are the meatballs and rice added? The meatballs and rice are added after the first 30 minutes of cooking. 4. When are the potatoes added? The potatoes are added after another 10 minutes from the addition of the meatballs and rice. Essentially, the potatoes go into the pot after 40 minutes from starting the program. 5. When are the borscht, vegetables, and lovage added? The borscht and vegetables are added after 50 minutes from the start of the program. The lovage is added 5 minutes before the appliance finishes cooking, that is, after 55 minutes. NUTRITIONAL VALUES The values are estimated, as the recipe does not specify the amount of vegetables, the exact amount of onion used in grams, or the number of servings. A precise nutritional value for each serving cannot be calculated. As a general estimate, if the pot is divided into 4 servings and no other ingredients are added except those mentioned, one serving may have approximately: Calories: 250-330 kcal Protein: 18-24 g Carbohydrates: 25-35 g Fats: 7-12 g The majority of the protein comes from the ground chicken and egg. The carbohydrates are primarily provided by rice and potatoes, and the final value varies depending on their size. The amount of fat depends on the type of ground chicken used. STORAGE AND REHEATING After serving, any leftover soup should be allowed to cool and stored in the refrigerator in a suitable container. Since it contains rice and potatoes, the texture may change upon storage: the rice may absorb some liquid, and the soup may become denser. When reheating, only heat the amount that is to be consumed. If the soup has thickened, it can be stirred before heating. The borscht, potatoes, and meatballs remain in the same composition, but they may not have the exact texture they had when the dish was finished.