Chicken Soup With Ground Chicken Meatballs

Submitted by Chuck Hughes

"This comforting chicken meatball soup is packed with great flavor. Recipe courtesy Chuck Hughes"

 

• Ready In: 5hrs
• Ingredients: 32
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• Chicken Stock

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• bones from 1 whole chicken
• 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1⁄2 cup fresh dill
• 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon peppercorn
• 24 cups water
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

• Chicken Meatballs

• 1⁄2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1 lb ground chicken or 4 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
• 1 red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili flakes
• fresh ground pepper

• Soup

• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• vegetable oil
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups watercress
• 4 blackened chicken wings, for garnish (use Blackened Chicken Salad recipe to make the wings)
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh dill, for garnish

directions

1. For the chicken stock:

2. In a large stockpot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken bones, stir to coat and cook for 5 minutes to brown. Add the vegetables to the stockpot along with the herbs and peppercorns. Stir to mix, add the water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 4 to 6 hours. The stock will have reduced by half. Strain and skim the fat. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve.

3. For the chicken meatballs:

4. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk. In a food processor, combine the ground chicken, or chicken breasts if using, the red onion and garlic. Blend for 2 minutes. Add the dill, olive oil, salt, chile flakes and breadcrumb mixture. Spinkle with freshly ground pepper.
5. Using 1 teaspoon of the ground chicken mixture, form small meatballs. Reserve on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to cook in the soup.

6. For the soup:

7. In a medium stockpot, cook the vegetables in oil for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 8 cups stock and the chicken meatballs. Let simmer until the meatballs are cooked, about 15 minutes. When ready to serve, divide the watercress in the bowls and add a ladle of chicken soup. Garnish with the blackened chicken wings and fresh dill.