Mexican Turkey Meatball Soup
Adapted and paraphrased from a Chowhound recipe by Christine Gallary
For the meatballs – I make full recipe with half-spice. Levels shown are my adjusted version:
1 pound ground turkey
¼ medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 t. dried cilantro
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
For the soup – quantity is half original, with spice levels shown my adjusted version for that half:
2 tsp. vegetable oil / mist of veg oil spray
1/4 medium white or yellow onion, medium dice
1/2 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
½ tsp. table salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups (2 cans or 1 carton) low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 medium carrots, large dice
1 medium Roma tomatoes, cored and large dice – I use half-can of fire roasted tomato
1 medium zucchini, large dice - this gets added later, after meatballs have simmered 20 min
OMITTED for us -1 teaspoon Mexican-style hot sauce, such as Cholula or Tapatío, plus more as needed
For serving: OMITTED for us - Coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Tortilla chips or warmed tortillas, optional shredded cheddar
For the meatballs: -Using your hands, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and place in the refrigerator.
For the soup:
Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, measured salt, chili powder, and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
Increase the heat to high, add the broth or stock, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, form the meatballs: Use a 1 T scoop or your hands. - Fill a small bowl with water. Roll the meat mixture into 1-1/4-inch balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon each), wetting your hands as necessary to keep the mixture from sticking. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet, or lid of casserole dish or the plate on which you refrigerated mixture.
Add the carrots and tomatoes to the broth, stir to combine, and return to a simmer. Add the meatballs, evenly placing them around the pot (no need to stir as you add them, but I do stir a couple of times during the 20 minutes simmer), and return to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook until the rice and the meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
(Optional - can also bake some of the meatballs – 350, about 20 minutes)
Add the zucchini, stir to combine, and simmer uncovered until the zucchini is done to your liking, about 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the (optional) measured hot sauce, if using, and stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and hot sauce as needed.
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