Indian Spiced Mini Meatball Soup

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I just love mini meatballs in soup! They turn almost any broth into a legitimate one pot meal and are just so delicious and cute. I make mini meatball soup fairly often and this time around decided to give my bowl a little Indian twist.

I whipped up a creamy tomato and red pepper soup spiced with a bunch of my favorites – coriander, cumin, ginger, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and turmeric. Then I mixed in the mini meatballs, which were packed with garlic, ginger, cumin, fennel powder, and cayenne pepper. Mmm, this is such a warm, comforting, and hearty meal! I probably should have gone the extra mile and garnished the dish too, but it was late, and I was too hungry to mess around with it any further. I’m guessing a swirl of Greek yogurt and sprinkle of cilantro on top would be delicious though!

Indian Spiced Mini Meatball Soup
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 large egg
1/2 cup panko
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons fennel powder (ground fennel seeds)
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Soup:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
To make the meatballs, heat oven to 375˚F. Place ground turkey, egg, panko, garlic, ginger, cumin, fennel powder, cayenne pepper, and salt in a large bowl and knead with your hands until well mixed. Shape into 50 mini meatballs and place on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 375˚F for 12-14 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

To make the soup, heat canola oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and sauté 30 seconds; stir in coriander, cumin, ginger, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and tumeric and sauté an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and roasted peppers, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth or place batches in a blender and process until smooth. Stir in apple cider vinegar and salt. Mix in cooked meatballs. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 366 calories, 18.0g fat, 2.3g fiber, 38.3g protein per serving
Cost: $2.63 per serving