minted meatball soup {mintball soup}!
the other day i made this soup on a whim~i was really craving my grandma's goosh bareh,but did not have the time or patience to go through the process of making it. besides, i'm trying (not so successfully i might add) to be good and limit my carbs, so i decided to leave out the dumplings (as in, the dough). if you make this {mintball} soup and prefer not to be so good and have no issues (lucky you) with carbs, gluten, or white flour (all the things we have to worry about these days-it's laughable) then go ahead and add noodles to your soup about 10-15 minutes prior to serving. i had posted a picture of this soup on my facebook page www.facebook.com/cookingminette) last night, and my dear sister-friend who used to enjoy (understatement) my grandma's goosh bareh with me back in the day (miss those days) had commented: "looks like simplified goosh bareh to me." as you can imagine, this put a big smile {:-)} on my face. you know me (too) well, my friend! can't wait to have a bowl of soup with you real soon. xx
ingredients for 6-8 servings:
(about) 1 pound (7% fat or less) ground organic grass fed beef
1-2 tsp dry mint (or fresh, very finely minced)
1 medium onion-cut in half: puree 1 half in processor (or with grater), finely mince (or cube) the other half
4 stalks of organic celery, finely minced
1 tbp olive oil
sea salt (to taste), freshly ground pepper (1-2 tsp)
1 cup good quality stewed tomatoes (or fresh cubed)
1.5 cups fresh baby spinach
2-3 cups good home made broth (beef or vegetable)
1 small bunch fresh mint leaves for garnish
1-2 fresh limes
1. in a bowl combine: ground beef, sea salt (to taste), freshly ground pepper, grated (or pureed) onion, and 1-2 tsp mint. combine the mixture together (preferably by hand) until everything is evenly distributed, then start making little meatballs (the size of a small truffle-smaller than a ping pong ball).
2. in a heavy deep pot or dutch oven heat the oil and add the minced onion and celery. sautee until softened and just golden, then add the meatballs and allow them to cook/fry on one side before carefully turning them to cook on the other (about 3-5 minutes on each side on medium/high heat).
3. add the pureed (or fresh) tomatoes, 1/2 to 1 cup water, and the broth, and allow the soup to cook (simmer) for about 30-40 minutes. if you are adding noodles, add them now and adjust the liquid (little more broth or water) if necessary.
4. add the fresh spinach (i prefer not to cook it for too long) about 5 minutes prior to serving, stir well, and simmer until softened.5. serve garnished with a few sprigs of mint and a lime wedge-or add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the bowl. dig in!
