Meatball soup

Name: Meatball soup - Petruta P.
Ingredients: 500 g minced chicken breast; 1 egg; semolina; salt; pepper; 1/2 onion; 1 bunch of fresh parsley; 1 carrot; 1/2 red bell pepper; 1 onion; 1 tbsp broth; 1 tbsp vegetable; 3; 4 tbsp boiled rice; 1 chicken Maggie cube; 1 + 1/2 tbsp Knorr borscht.

Soups - Meatball soup by Petruta P. - Recipia

Chicken meatball soup starts with a simple broth made from a piece of bone-in chicken. The meat on the bone adds more flavor, especially if it's free-range chicken. The meatballs are prepared separately using ground chicken breast, and the rice is boiled beforehand and added at the end. From the amount of meat, you can make approximately 40 meatballs, depending on how large you shape them. Quick Info Preparation time: not specified exactly; ingredient preparation is done while the meat is boiling Cooking time: the meat and vegetables are boiled until tender, and the meatballs are left to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes Servings: the number depends on the amount of water and the size of the portions Difficulty: easy Recipe type: homemade soup with chicken meatballs Ingredients For the broth: a piece of bone-in chicken, preferably free-range water, as desired salt 1 carrot, finely chopped 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon vegetable mix 1 chicken bouillon cube salt, to taste 1 and a half tablespoons Knorr borscht powder For the meatballs: 500 g ground chicken breast 1 egg 1/2 onion, very finely chopped almost 1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped salt pepper a little semolina, only if the mixture is too soft For finishing: 3-4 tablespoons boiled rice remaining parsley, chopped chervil, chopped Preparation method 1. Place the piece of bone-in chicken in a pot and add the desired amount of water. Sprinkle a little salt and let the meat boil. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the meatball mixture. In a bowl, combine the ground chicken breast, chopped parsley, minced onion, egg, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix until the ingredients are well combined. 3. Check the texture of the mixture. If it is too soft and cannot be shaped, add a little semolina. It’s important not to add too much, as the meatballs may become tough. Taste a small amount of the mixture and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Then set the mixture aside. 4. When the chicken is almost cooked, add the finely chopped carrot, bell pepper, and onion to the pot. Let the vegetables boil together with the chicken until the meat is fully cooked. 5. While the soup is boiling, prepare the rice separately. Once cooked, drain it and set it aside. The rice is only added to the soup at the end to prevent it from breaking down and thickening the broth too much. 6. Remove the piece of chicken from the pot after it has boiled. Add the tomato paste, vegetable mix, chicken bouillon cube, and a little salt. Stir and let the soup continue to boil along with the vegetables. 7. When the vegetables are cooked, wet your hands and form the meatballs. Shape them to a similar size and carefully place them in the pot. From 500 g of ground chicken, you can make approximately 40 meatballs. You can add all of them to the soup or just the ones you need. 8. Add the Knorr borscht powder and let the soup boil for another 15-20 minutes. This is the recommended time to ensure the meatballs are cooked. To check, remove one and cut it open. If it is cooked through, you can proceed to the final step. 9. Finally, add the boiled rice, remaining parsley, and chopped chervil. Turn off the heat after incorporating them into the soup. Why I make this recipe often This soup is easy to prepare and uses common ingredients. The chicken meatballs are lighter than those made with fattier meat, and the amount of meat is sufficient for several servings. I also like that the meatballs can be added to the pot gradually, depending on how much soup I want to serve at that time. Cooking the rice separately helps control the consistency. If it were cooked directly in the pot, it could absorb too much liquid and the soup would thicken more than necessary. Tips and variations Tips The onion in the meatball mixture should be very finely chopped. Larger pieces can make shaping more difficult and may prevent the meatballs from staying compact. Semolina should only be added if the mixture is too soft. Start with a very small amount and mix again before adding more. The recipe does not specify an exact amount because it depends on how moist the chicken breast is and the size of the egg. Wetting your hands before shaping helps prevent the mixture from sticking. The meatballs should not be pressed too tightly; they just need to be formed compactly. Do not rely solely on the boiling time. The safest check is to cut one meatball to see if it is cooked through. Substitutions If you don’t have free-range chicken, you can use any available bone-in chicken piece. The bone is used to add more flavor to the broth. For sourness, use Knorr borscht powder in the indicated amount. If the product used has a different concentration, the final taste may vary, so adjust the salt after adding the borscht. Variations You can add all of the approximately 40 meatballs to the pot or just part of them. The remaining mixture can be saved for another soup, provided it is kept cool and used as soon as possible. The consistency can be adjusted based on the amount of water and rice. For a clearer soup, keep the rice to 3 tablespoons. For a slightly thicker soup, use 4 tablespoons, without exceeding the amount in the recipe. Serving ideas The soup is served hot, with parsley and chervil added at the end. These should be added after the meatballs are cooked and the heat is turned off, to keep their flavor fresh. Frequently asked questions Why is bone-in chicken used? The bone-in chicken piece is used as the base of the soup and for a richer flavor. After boiling, it is removed from the pot before the meatballs are added. What should I do if the meatball mixture is too soft? Add a very small amount of semolina and mix. Semolina helps firm up the mixture, but it must be used sparingly so that the meatballs don’t turn out tough. How do I check if the meatballs are cooked? After about 15-20 minutes of boiling, remove one meatball and cut it. If it is cooked through, the soup can be finished. Can I put raw rice directly into the soup? In this recipe, the rice is boiled separately, drained, and added at the end. Raw rice is not used directly in the pot. How many meatballs does this amount yield? From 500 g of chicken breast, you can make approximately 40 meatballs. The number may vary depending on their size. Nutritional values The values are estimates, as the amount of water, weight of the bone-in chicken piece, and exact number of servings are not specified. For a serving of soup with meatballs and rice, the estimate is about 180-260 kcal, 20-28 g protein, 8-12 g carbohydrates, and 5-10 g fats. Most of the protein comes from the chicken breast and the egg. The rice and vegetables contribute to the carbohydrate content, while the fats mainly depend on the piece of chicken used. The bouillon cube and borscht powder can increase the salt content, so it’s better to add salt gradually and taste before adding more. Storage and reheating Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container and should be consumed as soon as possible. The rice continues to absorb liquid after boiling, so the soup may become thicker when cold. When reheating, heat only the amount that will be served. If necessary, a little water can be added to adjust the consistency. The meatballs and rice should be heated well but without prolonged boiling, as they can break apart.