Chicken and Ginger Meatball Soup

I decided to work on spring hats for two hours then it was time to make soup.  Not enough hat time but it is the second sick day for J.J. and we needed some serious medicinal soup.  Chicken and ginger meatball soup with soba noodles.  The meatballs are perfect in this ginger flavored soup that can cure what ails you. 

If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer and you eat meat get the meat grinder. I grind all the meat myself for meatballs.  You can get the right consistency and you can buy exactly the kind of meat you want, organic and humanely raised.   

Chicken and Ginger Meatball Soup    

Serves 4 people

meatballs

5 boneless skinless organic chicken thighs coarsely ground in a meat grinder
1 celery stalk, diced really fine and sauteed in 1 tsp. butter
1 tbs. fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbs. textured vegetable protein, soaked in 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. salt

To form the meatballs combine all the ingredients. Break off enough of the mixture to form a 1” ball and roll it in rice flour.  Proceed until all the balls are made, re-roll in the rice flour and let them rest uncovered on a plate in the fridge for an hour while you make the soup base.

soup base

1 oz. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
1 small fennel bulb sliced
1 tbs. fresh grated ginger
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock + 1-2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
prepared chicken meatballs
1 package buckwheat soba
2 cups chopped bok choy greens
chopped cilantro and lemon spritz for garnish


Melt the butter with the olive oil, sauté the fennel and ginger until softened.  Add the chicken stock, 1 cup water, bay leaf and salt.  Simmer for 45 minutes then remove the bay leaf.  Add the meatballs, more water to cover if needed and gently simmer until they float, about 20 minutes. Add the bok choy, simmer another 10 minutes.  Add the noodles and cook until they are al dente.  To serve, spritz with lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.


J.J. could breathe after he ate his soup, there were several mmm's and definitely yums.


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