Meatballs and Kale in a Lemony Broth
Servings: 4
This delicious, zesty soup come meal is so nourishing - truely food as medicine!
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- ½ leek (pale part), roughly cut (or 2 spring onions)
- ¼ bunch/s fresh parsley leaves (about 10 g)
- ¼ bunch/s fresh mint leaves (optional)
- 4-5 sprig/s fresh thyme leaves (1 tablespoon approx.)
- 1 clove/s garlic
- 1 lime/s -zest
- 600 g ground mince (turkey, chicken or pork mince)
- 1 tsp sea salt - or to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
For the soup
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - extra virgin
- ½ leek (green and pale part)
- 1 lemon/s (5 peels of the skin)
- 1 carrot/s (large) peeled and diced into halves
- 1 potato/s (large) peeled and diced into small cubes
- 3 clove/s garlic - sliced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 star anise
- 750 ml chicken broth or stock (3 cups)
- 1½ tbsp fish sauce
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 10-12 stem/s kale - torn off the stem and into smaller pieces
- ½ lime/s - juice
- ½ lemon/s - juice (approx. 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- If you have a food processor, place leeks, parsley, mint, thyme, garlic, and lime zest inside with an S-blade on. Blitz a few times, until the ingredients are finely ground up. If using a Thermomix 10 seconds, speed 5. Alternatively, chop everything very finely using a knife.
- Transfer to a large mixing bowl together with the mince, salt and pepper. Mix really well, until well incorporated. If using a Thermomix, 40 seconds reverse speed 3 (you may need to use the spatula to help mix it through).
- Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Roll the mixture into small meatballs, about 20g each, smaller than a Ping-Pong ball. Fry the meatballs for 7-8 minutes, turning them throughout so they go golden-brown on all sides.
- In the meantime, add the olive oil, the other part of the leek, lemon peel, carrot and potato to a medium saucepan. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, star anise, chicken stock and fish sauce. Season with some salt and pepper and bring to boil.
- Add the meatballs and cook over medium heat, covered, for 3-4 minutes. Prepare the kale and add to the soup, stir through and cook for a further 5 minutes, covered. Test the potato and once soft, remove from the heat and add the lime and lemon juice.
- Stir and taste for salt. Let it sit for 5 minutes off the heat before serving.
Make-ahead
- Re-heat in a pot over a low heat until just hot.
Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.