Comfort Soup (Spinach & Meatballs)

"This simple soup is a savory dish passed on to me by a childhood friend's mother. She raised 6 kids and knew how to please a hungry crowd (the boys are all over 6'5") on a tight budget in a hurry! Soup is comforting but I have found this one to be especially soothing to body and soul. UPDATE: the meat juices are what make the flavor of the broth, so if the beef is too lean (or not enough is used), there won't be an oily sheen to the soup, which is what gives it the wonderful taste."
 
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photo by Marla Swoffer photo by Marla Swoffer
photo by Marla Swoffer
Ready In:
40mins
Ingredients:
5
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Heat chicken broth to boiling.
  • Meanwhile, combine beef, cheese and pepper.
  • Knead lightly to mix but don't overdo it.
  • Roll into 1 inch meatballs.
  • Drop meatballs into boiling broth and reduce heat to simmering (medium low usually).
  • Cook for 10 minutes.
  • Add spinach and cook for 10 more minutes.
  • Serve with french bread if you have it.

Questions & Replies

  1. Can i use beef broth if i dont have chicken broth
     
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Reviews

  1. I really think this soup has potential, but it was a little flat for me. I ended up adding the juice of one lemon, a little freshly grated nutmeg, and some salt. This made a huge difference; even my children liked it (they tend to be healthy eaters, though). I do think that I will also make the meatballs much smaller next time. Overall, a good starting point, just needed a little brightness added to the flavor.
     
  2. Wonderful! I used a package of fresh spinach, chopped. I aso added some asiago cheese to the meat balls becasue I had some grated. In total I used about 1/2 cup of parmesan/asiago but I think that extra flavor is what made this soup so addictive! I also added six whole cloved of garlic while cooking and then fished them out at the end. Served over rice. YUMMM!
     
  3. Made the meatballs for a recipe requiring mild seasoning. Turned out to be the perfect answer. Made them with half beef and half pork. Delicious! Thanks, Inkling.
     
  4. This is very similar to my favorite comfort soup called Italian Wedding soup. Throw in some orzo pasta at the end of your recipe and you have it! Absoulutely delicious! Thanks for sharing.
     
  5. This is a great pantry meal. I use Asiago because we didn't have Parmesan. I also added 1t Italian seasoning because it seemed like it needed more zing for grownups. It was pretty good. I will consider adding eggs like in rag soup. Eggs are a major comfort food in our house! I did not stay awake dreaming of this food, but will include it in my repetoire of quick meals with ingredients on hand. Thanks for sharing!
     
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Tweaks

  1. YUM! This is definitely a keeper. So easy!! I accidentally broke my pepper grinder into the meat & the whole peppercorns really added a punch. I add them whole on purpose now. I always double the recipe for my family of 5 - we eat it all up! Sometimes there\'s a little left over for my husband to take to work for lunch. I have used broccoli instead of spinach on occasion with good results. And I grate my own Parmesan or Romano cheese.
     
  2. Comfort soup is the perfect name for this. I made it on a rainy bummer of a day and this tasted absolutely soulful to us. I made it with beef and I used real parmesan that I grated myself instead of the canned type, and I also used fresh spinach as you can't get frozen spinach where I live in England. This is a delicious soup that I will make more frequently in the cooler weather. Thank you, Olive Blossom!
     

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