Savory Meatball Soup

By Addie

“My thrifty grandparents had so many tasty recipes, like this one, to help stretch a little meat to feed their big family.”

Ingredients

• 1 quart each beef broth and water
• 1 medium onion, cut into eighths
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup long-grain rice
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons each dried oregano and garlic salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Combine beef broth and water in a large stockpot. Add onion and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat.


Combine ground beef, rice, egg, oregano, garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cumin in a large bowl and mix well. Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs.


Coat meatballs with flour. Drop into the boiling broth; cover. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 45 minutes.


Add potatoes to the soup; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Remove the bay leaf. Season with remaining black pepper.
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Grandma's Secret Tip:

Coating these meatballs with flour was Grandma's clever way of thickening her meatball soup. She told me that it was not absolutely necessary to do it, but it gives the meatballs a silky texture and thickens the broth to a rich, appetizing consistency.