Ginger Chicken-Basmati Meatball Soup
When you think of weeknight 30-minute chicken soup recipes, you’re probably thinking a rotisserie chicken is the shortcut. Instead, my fast-and-easy version calls for ground chicken.
Before going any further into the sheer genius of this recipe, I want to give full credit to cookbook author and healer Rebecca Katz, who I was introduced to through her life-giving book, The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery, by my mother-in-law Marcia. There I was in Marcia’s kitchen on Long Island sitting at the table flipping through Rebecca’s cookbook when I landed on a nourishing recipe for Chicken Vegetable Soup with Ginger Meatballs. I made Marcia a double batch that day and still make the soup anytime my kids feel a cold coming on and when it’s cold or rainy outside.
Now onto the genius of Rebecca’s recipe. Adding the rice to the meatball mixture keeps the rice from disintegrating into the broth and makes the meatballs light and airy instead of heavy and dense. While the original recipe calls for making Rebecca’s Chicken Magic Mineral Broth from scratch, I typically use a combination of store-bought Imagine Organic Vegetarian No-Chicken Broth and Bare Bones Organic Chicken Bone Broth to save time.
I also flavor the broth by stirring in whatever fresh vegetables, mushrooms and herbs I have on hand—favorites include thinly-sliced shiitake mushrooms, fennel, watercress, bok choy, grated ginger, grated turmeric and cilantro. Sometimes I sprinkle some togarashi shichimi spice blend on top for a little heat.
Until we eat again,
Ginger CHicken-BASMATI meatball Soup
gluten-free ≈ dairy-free
SERVES 4 to 6
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
8 cups (2 quarts) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
4 carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick
2 celery stalks, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 pound ground chicken, preferably a mix of dark and white meat from your local butcher
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
¼ cup fresh spinach or parsley, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup uncooked white basmati rice
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large soup pot, bring the broth to a boil; add the carrots and celery, then reduce the heat to low and simmer.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the chicken, ginger, garlic, spinach, salt, pepper, egg and rice.
3. Using a 1½-inch ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon, carefully add the meatballs to the hot broth; cover completely and cook until the rice is cooked through, about 20 minutes. To serve, divide evenly among bowls.
QUICK RECIPE SWAPS
ground chicken → ground turkey or pork
white basmati rice → white jasmine rice → brown basmati rice (cook for 25 minutes more)
