Mar 6, 2021

Mamma's Estonian Meatball Soup

This delicious meatball soup recipe has been a family favourite my entire life, and for good reason.

My mother made a lot of soups, and I clearly inherited my love of soup from her. It's no wonder. Her soups always hit the spot, in particular, her meatball soup was so tasty and filling. It features big chunks of vegetables, perfectly seasoned broth, and tasty meatballs.

All this goodness is dairy-free, and gluten-free (using gluten-free breadcrumbs), and makes a great low-calorie lunch.

I like to sprinkle a little fresh thyme on top, though this is optional.

Ingredients

(Makes 8 servings)

Meatballs:

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
1/2 medium sweet onion, finely diced
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon thyme

Soup:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 medium white or yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 cups vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, water, herbs, and spices. Ensure all the ingredients are very well combined, then, using a soup spoon, or scoop, portion out the meat and, using clean hands, roll meatballs that are about an inch in diameter.

In a medium stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the oil then brown the meatballs on all sides working in batches. Remove browned meatballs and set aside.

Once all the meatballs are browned and removed from the pot, add the onion with a pinch of salt and sauté until it begins to soften (approx. 4 minutes). Add the garlic and continue sautéing for an additional minute.

Add the vegetables and stir to incorporate them into the onion and garlic mixture. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the stock and increase the heat to high until it comes to a boil. The stock should completely cover the vegetables by at least 1 inch or more. Once boiling, add the meatballs back into the soup pot and stir gently to ensure they are all submersed.

Bring the pot back to a boil then reduce the heat to medium so that it reaches a gently rolling boil. Cover the pot with a lid and allow to boil, stirring periodically, until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender and the meatballs are cooked (approximately 30 minutes).

Remove from heat and serve with hearty artisan bread, or sweet and sour rye.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: