Homemade Meatball Soup

 Is there anything more heartwarming than a bowl of soup? I can’t think of anything better. What do you eat when you are sick? Soup. What is good for the soul? Soup. Just came in from a cold winter day and need to warm up? Soup. Feeling sad? Soup.

See?! It is the answer to everything. Medicine for body and spirit. Soup is comfort, it is love, warmth, wholesome, healthy and when it is done right, it is packed full of different delightful flavours. What makes a delicious soup? Usually a good quality broth, some kind of meat, vegetables, and spices. Once you have mastered the art of balancing these ingredients you will have your family begging you for more.

Ingredients

                Meatballs

·         2 lbs of lean ground beef

·         1 egg

·         1/4 cup of bread crumbs

·         1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

·         1 tsp salt

·         1 tbsp. ground black pepper

·         ½ tbsp. dried basil

·         ½ tbsp. garlic powder

·         ½ tbsp. onion powder

·         ½ tbsp. curry powder

·         1 tbsp. oregano

·         ½ tbsp. Italian seasoning

·         1 tsp paprika

·         1 tsp cumin

·         2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Soup

·         2 medium potatoes, cubed

·         2 large carrots, thinly sliced

·         2 celery stalk, thinly sliced

·         ½ of a small yellow onion, finely chopped

·         1-2 carton(s) of beef broth

·         1 package of dried chicken noodle soup mix

·         1 beef bouillon cube

Preparation

Wow! Now that is a long list of ingredients! Also I want to apologize ahead of time for my foolishness. It seems when I made this soup I remembered to take photos of all of the preparation but forgot to take pics of the actual cooked soup. I am so sorry everyone!

First things first, get your pot! I used my crock pot but you can use a large stock pot as well. I just love how crockpots can slowly build the flavours of the soup throughout the day and make your house smell wonderful. If people are walking by outside, the aromas will be so deliciously strong, they will be able to smell the soup down the driveway! That is how good this recipe is.

Alright! Now I know I just said to grab the soup pot but I changed my mind and decided we are going to make our meatballs first before doing anything with the pot. Ah! My head is a little loose today! Side note, I am on a new diet and my body is still adjusting…hence the brain farts.

Anyways, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs into a bowl and get ready to get your hands dirty. Mush and mix these ingredients until they are evenly combined. Then take some squishy meat mix and form it into a ball, about the size of a golf ball. Do this with all the meatballs and set them aside.

Next, after washing the meatiness off your hands, prepare the vegetables. And now you have my permission to throw them in the pot! That’s right I said throw! Have fun with it! Look out for the crazy cook in the kitchen!

Then, place the meatballs over the vegetables and dump the package of dried soup, as well as the bouillon cube, into the pot. Next pour in the broth until the ingredients are fully submerged, put the lid on, and cook that baby up. As I said before, I used my crockpot and it did end up taking about 8 hours to cook the soup. And boy was it worth the wait. If you use a stove top to make the soup, you can let the mixture boil first and then have it on a medium heat, gently simmering until it is done. You want the meatballs to be fully cooked (no pink on the inside) before you can say it is finished.

Taste Test

Ladies and gentlemen. Get ready to taste the purest, the most comforting, the most sensual soup you will ever put in your mouth. When you take that first bite, your mind will be blown. It is salty, it is slightly peppery, herbaceous and packed full of goodness. You should detect that beautiful meaty flavour from the broth and meatballs, as well as the delectable vegetables that have seasoned the broth in their own special way. And may I just say, that is the magic of celery. That it can taste very bland when eaten raw. But when cooked in a soup, adds this heartwarming essence unlike any other ingredient. It truly helps to round out the soup flavour.

Now for the meatballs. They should burst with juiciness. And the finely chopped onions definitely give them a moist quality. An idea I was given from my lovely Father-in-law. When you combine spices with onions in any meat recipe, it truly enhances the characteristics of the meat. If you had just plain old meatballs with salt and pepper, I would say that is a pretty bland soup…no offense. But when you add all those other dried spices it bumps up the flavours completely. Once you have tried this, you cannot go back to the ordinary meatballs.

And when you combine the broth, some vegetables and a meatball all into one bite, well my friends that is utter perfection. That is a harmony of flavours. And that is cosiness. All in a spoon. For food, in general, is “music you can taste, colour you can smell” quote from Ratatouille. That is why it is so spectacular. It gives us life in so many different ways.

My fellow foodies, I hope you recreate this recipe and seek inspiration for many more soups to come. Enjoy!