Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off – then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. ~ Herman Melville (Moby Dick)
After this long, cold, damp winter, and today’s Ice-pocalypse here in Georgia, I find myself in this exact mood. If I could, I would definitely be off to the watery parts of the world. My substitute for the pistol and ball will be one of the only things accessible to me right now ~ a nice bowl of hot soup, Sopa de Albóndigas. Well that and maybe a little wine.
This soup is what I need it to be ~ comforting. It lets me settle into the night after a day of looking out windows wondering how bad it will be. If you have an edge you’d like to smooth over, then by all means give this a try.
Recipe inspiration from Potingues y Fogones.
Ingredients (4 persons):
4 medium potatoes
1 1/4 lbs of ground beef
1/2 cup of stale bread soaked in milk
1 egg XL
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1/4 cup fresh parsley, plus 2 sprigs
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoons ground almonds
salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 cup of white wine
1 tbsp flour, plus more for rolling meatballs
½ cup olive oil, for frying
3 cups water or chicken broth
Instructions
Beat the egg in a bowl and add 1 clove chopped garlic, chopped parsley, ground beef, ground almonds, salt, pepper, soy sauce and breadcrumbs, soaked and drained and mix well.
Let stand at least 30 minutes in the fridge to mix the flavors.
Meanwhile Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
Peel and cut the onion into very thin strips.
Peel the garlic and crush it in the mortar with a few sprigs of parsley and thyme. (Or you can process them in a food processor)
Remove the meat from the fridge and form the meatballs about the size of a walnut.
Roll them in flour and fry them in ½ cup olive oil on a medium heat.
Remove the meatballs and set aside.
In the same oil fry potatoes until lightly browned.
Remove potatoes from the pan and set aside with the meatballs.
To prepare the sauce:
Remove the oil from the pan leaving only 3 tablespoons and fry the onion until transparent.
Add 1 tablespoon of flour and the glass of wine.
Stir in the garlic mixture from the mortar or food processor diluted with a little broth.
In a soup pot, add the onion mixture, the potatoes and meatballs and the rest of the 3 cups of broth or water, bay leaf, and a little salt.
Bring to a boil, and lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are ready.
Serve hot, with crusty bread.
Enjoy!
Sopa de Albóndigas (Meatball Soup)
Ingredients
- ½ cups Stale Bread Cut In Cubes
- 1 cup Milk More Or Less As Needed To Cover Bread
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley plus 2 sprigs
- 1-¼ pound Ground Beef
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Almonds
- Salt And Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
- 4 Medium Potatoes
- 1 Medium Onion
- 1 sprig Each Of Fresh Parsley And Thyme
- ½ cups Olive Oil For Frying
- 1 Tablespoon Flour Plus More For Rolling Meatballs
- 1 cup White Wine
- 3 cups Water Or Chicken Broth
- 1 Bay Leaf
Instructions
- Place the stale breadcrumbs in a bowl and cover with milk. Let the bread soak for 5 minutes.
- Beat the egg in a large bowl. Chop half of the garlic cloves and add the chopped garlic and the chopped parsley, ground beef, ground almonds, salt, pepper, soy sauce and breadcrumbs (drained well). Mix well. Let the mixture stand for at least 30 minutes in the fridge to mix the flavors.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Peel and cut the onion into very thin strips. Set these aside.
- Peel the other half of the garlic and crush it in a mortar with the sprigs of parsley and thyme. Or if preferred you can process them in a food processor. Set aside for now.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
- Remove the meat from the fridge and form the meatballs, each about the size of a walnut. Put some flour on a plate. Roll the meatballs in the flour and fry them in the olive oil on a medium heat, until browned on all sides.Remove the meatballs and set aside.
- In the same oil fry potatoes until lightly browned on all sides. Remove potatoes from the pan and set aside with the meatballs.
- To prepare the sauce: Remove the oil from the pan leaving only 3 tablespoons and fry the onion until transparent. Add the tablespoon of flour and the wine. Dilute the garlic mixture from the mortar or food processor with a little bit of the broth then add it into the onions. Stir for about a minute then remove from heat.
- In a soup pot, add the onion mixture, the potatoes and meatballs and the rest of the broth or water. Also add the bay leaf and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are ready.
- Serve hot, with crusty bread.
I love food! I read cookbooks like they were novels. I get giddy in a farmer’s market. I find a chicken in a pot surrounded by carrots, onion, and celery a thing of beauty. My favorite sound is Mmmmmmmm!
I'd love to hear from you!