Thai-Style Chicken Meatball Soup
Serves 4-6
This comes together in about 30 minutes, and makes a very fresh and satisfying weeknight dinner.
Ingredients #
- 1 4-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1 large bunch cilantro, leaves and stems chopped (reserve some leaves for garnish)
- 3 tbsp fish sauce (divided)
- Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil, more if needed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 14-oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving (optional)
- Steamed white rice for serving
Instructions #
Place the ginger, garlic, and jalapeño in a food processor and pulse, scraping down as necessary, until very finely chopped or a coarse paste. Remove half of the mixture and set aside. To the remaining half, add the chopped cilantro stems and leaves and pulse further, until the cilantro is finely chopped. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl along with 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp salt, and the ground chicken. Use your hands to lightly but thoroughly combine the mixture (over-mixed meatballs are tough and rubbery).
Use your hands or an ice cream scoop (very handy here) to form 2-inch meatballs. Place them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place them in the freezer for 15 minutes.
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, brown the meatballs well on all sides (5 to 8 min). Transfer the meatballs to a plate as they are browned. Add a little more oil if needed during this process.
If the oil is burnt, wipe the pot with a paper town and add some fresh oil. Otherwise, just continue with what’s in the pot. Add the reserved ginger/garlic/pepper mixture and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, sugar, and remaining 1 tbsp fish sauce, and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and any juices they may have released, and simmer until the flavors come together and the meatballs are cooked through (about 5-8 min).
Remove from the heat, stir in the spinach and the lime juice. Divide the rice among large, shallow serving bowls, and top with meatballs and broth. Sprinkle with reserved cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges.