Chicken meatball soup is one of the dishes I make when I want something hearty but without spending too much time. It doesn't have many complicated steps and turns out quite light, even on a busy day. I like that I can use ground chicken and don't need to have rare vegetables in the fridge. The fact that I don't add rice or onion to the meatballs simplifies everything and makes the recipe quicker.
Quick Info
Total time: about 1 hour – 1 hour and 15 minutes
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 45-55 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: lunch soup, suitable for any day
Ingredients
1 kg ground chicken
1 egg
a little fresh chopped parsley (for the meatball mixture and for garnish)
delikat or salt, to taste
3-4 onions
1-2 carrots
1 red bell pepper
tomato juice (I use canned tomatoes or homemade juice)
3-4 tablespoons oil
noodles (a handful, for garnish)
Preparation method
1. Fill a suitable pot with water and put it on the heat. Let it come to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs: mix the ground chicken in a bowl with the egg, a little chopped fresh parsley, and delikat or salt. I don’t add rice or onion to the mixture. Mix well until it binds.
3. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat and form the meatballs with wet hands. Gently place them in the boiling water so they don’t break apart.
4. Let them boil and skim the foam that forms on the surface with a skimmer. Repeat until no more foam appears.
5. Chop the vegetables – onions, carrots, bell pepper – finely. After you’re done with the foam, add the chopped vegetables directly to the pot.
6. Add the oil now, not from the beginning. Chicken meat doesn’t release much fat, and the oil helps with the flavor and texture of the soup.
7. Let it boil until the vegetables are almost done. Check with a fork or taste the carrot.
8. When the vegetables are nearly cooked, add the tomato juice. I use canned tomatoes or simple tomato juice. Stir and let it boil for another 15-20 minutes.
9. Taste and adjust with delikat or salt, if needed.
10. Add a handful of noodles to the pot. Boil for another 5 minutes until the noodles are soft.
11. Turn off the heat and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on top.
Why I make the recipe often
It has no complicated steps, you don’t need to form or fry the meatballs separately. If you use chicken, the meatballs turn out tender and not too heavy. The soup keeps well for a day or two in the fridge and reheats quickly. It’s a recipe you can make with what you usually have at home.
Tips and variations
Tips
Don’t keep the heat high when adding the meatballs, otherwise, they might fall apart.
The foam gathers at the beginning; after it stops forming, you can add the vegetables.
If you have fresh parsley, keep some for sprinkling at the end.
Substitutes
You can use ground turkey if you don’t have chicken.
Instead of noodles, you can use thin pasta, but don’t add too much, otherwise, the soup will become too thick.
If you don’t use delikat, regular salt works too.
Variations
If you want a more sour soup, you can add a little borscht or lemon juice at the end, but it’s not used in the basic recipe.
If you don’t want noodles, the soup is fine without them.
If you have seasonal vegetables (celery, parsnip), you can add them, but they are not mandatory.
Serving ideas
The soup is served hot, with fresh bread. It also goes well with hot peppers, if you like.
It can be eaten as a main dish, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a second course.
Frequently asked questions
1. Do I need to add rice or onion to the meatballs?
No, the recipe doesn’t require rice or onion in the meatballs. Only mix the meat with the egg, parsley, and delikat or salt.
2. Can I use store-bought ground chicken?
Yes, store-bought ground chicken works well. If you want, you can grind it at home, but it’s not mandatory.
3. Do I need to fry the meatballs beforehand?
No, the meatballs are placed directly raw into the boiling water.
4. Can I substitute tomato juice with tomato paste?
You can also use tomato paste, diluted with water, if you don’t have tomato juice or canned tomatoes.
5. How long does it take for the meatballs to cook?
Usually, the meatballs boil in 20-25 minutes. They are done when they rise to the surface and are no longer pink inside.
Nutritional values
The values are approximate, for an average serving of soup:
Calories: 230-260 kcal
Proteins: 18-22 g
Carbohydrates: 14-18 g (including vegetables and noodles)
Fats: 10-13 g
The soup is quite filling, with a good protein content and relatively low in fat due to the chicken. The calories can vary depending on how much oil and noodles you use.
Storage and reheating
Chicken meatball soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cover the pot or place the soup in a container with a lid. It can be reheated on low heat on the stove or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. If it has been in the fridge for a longer time, the noodles may absorb some of the liquid, so you can add a little water when reheating. I do not recommend freezing it, as the chicken meatballs do not retain their texture well after thawing.
Quick Info
Total time: about 1 hour – 1 hour and 15 minutes
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 45-55 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: lunch soup, suitable for any day
Ingredients
1 kg ground chicken
1 egg
a little fresh chopped parsley (for the meatball mixture and for garnish)
delikat or salt, to taste
3-4 onions
1-2 carrots
1 red bell pepper
tomato juice (I use canned tomatoes or homemade juice)
3-4 tablespoons oil
noodles (a handful, for garnish)
Preparation method
1. Fill a suitable pot with water and put it on the heat. Let it come to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs: mix the ground chicken in a bowl with the egg, a little chopped fresh parsley, and delikat or salt. I don’t add rice or onion to the mixture. Mix well until it binds.
3. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat and form the meatballs with wet hands. Gently place them in the boiling water so they don’t break apart.
4. Let them boil and skim the foam that forms on the surface with a skimmer. Repeat until no more foam appears.
5. Chop the vegetables – onions, carrots, bell pepper – finely. After you’re done with the foam, add the chopped vegetables directly to the pot.
6. Add the oil now, not from the beginning. Chicken meat doesn’t release much fat, and the oil helps with the flavor and texture of the soup.
7. Let it boil until the vegetables are almost done. Check with a fork or taste the carrot.
8. When the vegetables are nearly cooked, add the tomato juice. I use canned tomatoes or simple tomato juice. Stir and let it boil for another 15-20 minutes.
9. Taste and adjust with delikat or salt, if needed.
10. Add a handful of noodles to the pot. Boil for another 5 minutes until the noodles are soft.
11. Turn off the heat and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on top.
Why I make the recipe often
It has no complicated steps, you don’t need to form or fry the meatballs separately. If you use chicken, the meatballs turn out tender and not too heavy. The soup keeps well for a day or two in the fridge and reheats quickly. It’s a recipe you can make with what you usually have at home.
Tips and variations
Tips
Don’t keep the heat high when adding the meatballs, otherwise, they might fall apart.
The foam gathers at the beginning; after it stops forming, you can add the vegetables.
If you have fresh parsley, keep some for sprinkling at the end.
Substitutes
You can use ground turkey if you don’t have chicken.
Instead of noodles, you can use thin pasta, but don’t add too much, otherwise, the soup will become too thick.
If you don’t use delikat, regular salt works too.
Variations
If you want a more sour soup, you can add a little borscht or lemon juice at the end, but it’s not used in the basic recipe.
If you don’t want noodles, the soup is fine without them.
If you have seasonal vegetables (celery, parsnip), you can add them, but they are not mandatory.
Serving ideas
The soup is served hot, with fresh bread. It also goes well with hot peppers, if you like.
It can be eaten as a main dish, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a second course.
Frequently asked questions
1. Do I need to add rice or onion to the meatballs?
No, the recipe doesn’t require rice or onion in the meatballs. Only mix the meat with the egg, parsley, and delikat or salt.
2. Can I use store-bought ground chicken?
Yes, store-bought ground chicken works well. If you want, you can grind it at home, but it’s not mandatory.
3. Do I need to fry the meatballs beforehand?
No, the meatballs are placed directly raw into the boiling water.
4. Can I substitute tomato juice with tomato paste?
You can also use tomato paste, diluted with water, if you don’t have tomato juice or canned tomatoes.
5. How long does it take for the meatballs to cook?
Usually, the meatballs boil in 20-25 minutes. They are done when they rise to the surface and are no longer pink inside.
Nutritional values
The values are approximate, for an average serving of soup:
Calories: 230-260 kcal
Proteins: 18-22 g
Carbohydrates: 14-18 g (including vegetables and noodles)
Fats: 10-13 g
The soup is quite filling, with a good protein content and relatively low in fat due to the chicken. The calories can vary depending on how much oil and noodles you use.
Storage and reheating
Chicken meatball soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cover the pot or place the soup in a container with a lid. It can be reheated on low heat on the stove or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. If it has been in the fridge for a longer time, the noodles may absorb some of the liquid, so you can add a little water when reheating. I do not recommend freezing it, as the chicken meatballs do not retain their texture well after thawing.