Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Mini Meatball Mexican Soup

Soups

Remember when I mentioned I was testing a few soup recipes last week?  Work has been super busy, but I finally got around to making this one last night and had to post it right away because it’s so addicting! I had a huge bowl for dinner and went back for seconds, and I wish there was more left because I wouldn’t mind a little snack right about now…

It’s really all about the mini meatballs. I love them in soup because they just make it so much more hearty and tasty. Instead of making a traditional Italian wedding soup though, I decided it would be fun to try a Mexican inspired version. I mixed Ancho chile powder, cumin, and oregano spiced mini meatballs in a red and poblano pepper tomato broth and garnished the soup with avocado and feta. Next time I’m going to make a double batch so the leftovers last longer!

Mini Meatball Mexican Soup
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon salt

Soup:
1 large red pepper
2 poblano peppers
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta

Directions:
To make the meatballs, heat oven to 375˚F. Place ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, chile powder, cumin, oregano, 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 13-15 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

To make the soup, heat oven broiler. Place peppers on a greased cookie sheet and broil for 15 to 20 minutes or until outsides are black and charred, turning once. Cool to room temperature, remove blackened skins and seeds, and roughly chop roasted peppers.

Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Add chicken broth, water, 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 lime juice, cumin, and salt. Mix in cooked meatballs. Scoop into four bowls and garnish with avocado and feta. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 418 calories, 18.9g fat, 6.1g fiber, 44.8g protein per serving
Cost: $2.72 per serving

Creamy French Onion Soup

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! We celebrated by splurging on the tasting menu at Craigie on Main and enjoyed every bite. I also recently got a little present from the Fairy Hobmother. I left a comment on Joanne’s post that I needed a new immersion...

Zucchini Basil Soup

Of all the fresh summer veggies in season right now, my favorites are yellow squash and zucchini. In fact, I often sauté 4-6 of them on Sunday nights so we can enjoy them as one of our side dishes all week! My love for summer squash first blossomed when I was learning...

Roasted Yellow Pepper and Leek Soup

The first thing I always do when I’m planning a vacation is figure out where to eat. In fact, I would say our days tend be structured by what activities are around the restaurants we want to visit! I had more difficultly than usual planning our NYC trip because my mom...

Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Pumpkin Bread Croutons

I have a love-hate relationship with carrots. Carrot cake is my very favorite (although I'm not sure that really counts!), and I tend to enjoy hearty carrot chunks in vegetable and chicken noodle soup, but raw carrots just don't do it for me. I always pick around them...

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Turkey Bacon

I had gumbo with chicken and Andouille sausage for dinner tonight, followed by hot chocolate and beignets – yep, I’m in New Orleans! I’m here for a scientific conference and walked around the city tonight for a couple hours after my talk this afternoon. I was stressed...

Udon Miso Soup

Apolinaras and I ventured back to HMart on Super Bowl Sunday and enjoyed big bowls of udon soup for lunch from the Japanese section of food court. We always go back and forth on what to order because everything looks so tasty, but I think we made a good choice,...

Chicken Florentine Soup

Wow – I was hoping we were done with the snow for this year, but Mother Nature had other plans for the Northeast. I actually don’t mind the snow too much, because I don’t have to worry about driving on the slick roads. I have a pair of cute snow boots (thanks Mom!)...

Caribbean Sweet Potato and Plantain Soup

Well hello, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas celebration! We unplugged for the week and met my parents and brother in Palm Beach, Florida. A relaxing break with warm weather was just what we needed to recharge and it was so nice to spend time with my family. We...