Low-calorie meatball soup
8 servings
150 minutes
Low-calorie meatball soup is the embodiment of cozy Russian cuisine, where traditions blend with health consciousness. Its origins date back centuries when homemade soups were a staple of the diet. The delicate clear broth made from chicken breast gives the dish lightness, while the meatballs enriched with pearl barley make it hearty and nutritious. Pearl barley adds a pleasant texture, and the white part of leeks provides a mild piquancy. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner, the soup warms and invigorates while remaining diet-friendly. Its soft flavor with subtle hints of spices makes it a favorite choice for the whole family. Served hot, each spoonful brings comfort and enjoyment.
1
In a three-liter pot, we cook a clear broth: add washed chicken breast, remove the foam when it boils, then season with salt and pepper to taste, add finely chopped onion and grated carrot, bay leaf, and seasoning (of your choice), and simmer on low heat until the chicken is cooked.
- Chicken breast: 500 g
- Onion: 2 pieces
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
- Seasonings: to taste
- Salt: pinch
2
We prepare the meat filling separately – from any meat (depending on your calorie options: I use half chicken breast and half beef), onion can be passed through a meat grinder or finely chopped (I think this makes the meatballs juicier), we salt, pepper, and season it, add 1-2 eggs and a bit of strong alcohol (vodka/ouzo/rum) for softening (about 30-50 ml), mix well until smooth, cover with a lid and leave it for a while - let it soak.
- Ground meat: 500 g
- Onion: 2 pieces
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
3
Cook the pearl barley separately: rinse in cold water, cover with cold water, and boil for 20 minutes, then rinse again in a colander.
- Pearl barley: 0.5 glass
4
Add half of the boiled pearl barley to the minced meat and mix.
- Pearl barley: 0.5 glass
5
Once the broth is cooked, we remove and discard the bay leaf, take out and set aside the chicken (which can be served separately for breakfast or another occasion; I take it to work for lunch), bring the broth to a rolling boil and quickly roll small balls from the minced meat in our palms - these are the meatballs, immediately dropping each into the boiling broth. (If it seems that there is not enough water after adding all the meatballs, add some from the kettle, don't hesitate, the meatballs will fix everything, just taste for salt!)
- Ground meat: 500 g
6
Reduce the heat, add the leftover pearl barley and finely sliced potato to the soup (it's better to cut the potato in advance, soak it in cold water, and rinse to remove starch). Cook for another half hour to forty minutes until the meatballs are ready. Ten minutes before the end, add the sliced leek.
- Potato: 1 piece
- Pearl barley: 0.5 glass
- White part of leek: 1 piece
7
That's it. Let's turn it off. It will sit for a bit – then it can be served.