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Turkey Meatball Soup
Instructions
I get all the ingredients for the turkey meatball soup ready. Dried celery can be replaced with fresh — one stalk is enough, cut into small rings. For fresh herbs, parsley and dill work well.
Cut the turkey fillet together with half the onion into pieces convenient for grinding, and put them into a food processor or meat grinder.
Make the mince and press 1 clove of garlic into it.
Finely chop the fresh herbs.
Add half of them to the mince and set the rest aside for now.
Mix the meat together, not forgetting to season it with pepper and salt.
Next, form the meatballs. Some cooks roll them and drop them straight into the boiling broth, but then each one cooks for a different length of time. So it is better to shape the meat balls in advance. With wet palms, roll meatballs a little smaller than a walnut.
Cut the potatoes into medium cubes.
Put the cubes in a bowl and cover them with cold water — let them wait their turn.
Grate the carrot, finely chop the onion, and crush the reserved clove of garlic into fine pieces. This makes a good base for any broth.
Set the pot over medium heat. Pour in the vegetable oil and add the butter.
Add the onion first (it needs more time to give up its aromas) and sauté for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly — nothing should burn.
Then add the carrot with the garlic and keep frying for another 3 minutes. As you go, sprinkle the vegetables with salt — they will release a little moisture and take on a different aroma. The point is not to brown them, but only to soften the ingredients.
Now drain the water from the potatoes and transfer them to the pot.
Pour in water that has come to the boil in the kettle.
Add the bay leaf, freshly ground pepper, and the dried or fresh celery.
Salt the broth to your taste.
Wait for it to start boiling and add the meatballs.
Turkey meatball soup cooks quickly — about 8–10 minutes. I judge it by when the potatoes are done. I do not let it boil hard; the broth should only bubble gently. Towards the end I do a final taste for salt and add the rest of the fresh herbs.
Let the soup boil for one more minute, then turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and leave it like that for 10 minutes.
The turkey meatball soup is ready. And there it is — the soup is already drawing the household in with its enchanting aroma. I serve it with fresh or toasted bread and cold sour cream. By the way, the soup can be varied by adding other vegetables, vermicelli, or grains.
Tips
- 1
Half an onion in the mince — the "secret" to juiciness. The onion releases its juice when ground, so the meatballs turn out tender. Without onion the meat will be dry.
- 2
Wet palms — the "secret" to shaping. With dry hands the mince sticks and the ball comes out ragged. With wet hands you get a smooth, neat ball.
- 3
A gentle simmer — the "secret" to the meatballs' shape. A hard boil will make the meatballs fall apart. A light bubbling holds their shape perfectly.
- 4
10 minutes under the lid — the "secret" to flavour. After you turn off the heat, the soup rests and the aromas spread through it. Serve it straight away and the flavour is "flat". The same principle works for other kinds of meatball soup.
FAQ
Which turkey meat should I choose? +
Turkey breast fillet is ideal (500 g — tender and lean). Alternatives: turkey thigh fillet (500 g — juicier, darker in colour), a 50/50 mix of breast and thigh (250 g of each), chicken fillet (500 g — cooks faster), rabbit meat (500 g — lean), or veal (500 g — the classic choice). Do not use ready-made shop mince, as it changes the idea of the dish, or turkey injected with brine, which makes the broth cloudy. For a classic light soup, use fresh turkey.
What can I use instead of dried celery? +
Alternatives: a fresh celery stalk (1 — cut into rings), celery root (50 g, grated), parsley stalks (2–3 — a milder aroma), dried fennel (1 tsp), dried lovage (1 tsp — a sharper note), or a mix of Italian herbs (0.5 tsp). Do not use salted celery seasonings, which will over-salt the soup, or ready-made stock cubes. For a classic light soup, use real celery.
How long does the soup keep? +
In the fridge, in the pot under a lid, it keeps for 2–3 days. Any longer and the meatballs lose their juiciness, the potatoes fall apart, and the broth turns cloudy. Before serving, reheat it gently until it comes to the boil. In the freezer, in portions, it keeps for up to a month; thaw it in the fridge for 8–10 hours. Fresh soup is at its best 30–60 minutes after it is done, once it has rested in the pot, and on the second day the flavour is deeper. Do not leave it at room temperature for longer than 4 hours, as soup with meat spoils quickly. It is ideal to cook a double batch.
What can I serve the soup with? +
The classic option is cold sour cream. It also goes well with garlic croutons made from black bread, a slice of fresh rye bread and butter, finely chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley), a cup of green or herbal tea, a glass of freshly squeezed tomato juice, or a boiled egg for extra heartiness. It pairs nicely with pies filled with cabbage or meat served on the side, and with a fresh vegetable salad. It is a versatile hot dish for everyday meals and for a light diet.
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