Turkey Zucchini Meatballs in Spicy Broth
Gourmet magazine is really gone. I kept hoping (along with a million other readers) that someone would rescue it from the brink, swoop into their corporate NYC headquarters with a bunch of cash and magnanimity, and keep us all afloat. No such luck. The publishing world has substituted Bon Appetit for the remainder of my subscription. As much as I'll always miss Gourmet (a big part of my life for 30 years), I still have recipes and photos in my mailbox, and I'm not grieving enough to send the replacement issues back (for Pete's sake).
Especially after making this soup. I realized I haven't been trying new recipes lately. I've been improvising with fridge contents; pulling out old standbys; and getting a little bored. When I cook something for the first time, I actually follow the recipe--sort of. One can witness The Leftoverist with her measuring spoons, double-checking the spattered magazine. I suppose it's like my favorite jazz metaphor--you can't improvise until you know the score. Once the soup is made roughly according to the directions, I'll add other things to taste or file away the recipe for improvisation later. I have a kind of muscle memory when it comes to cooking--my body will remember what my brain can't.
This soup is warming, healthy (especially since I subbed turkey for beef), and satisfying in every way. The crunchy tortilla strips and fresh cilantro on top compliment the soft, garlicky meatballs, and you'll need nothing else for dinner--no bread, salad, or other such nonsense. That's a New Year's phenomenon I can toast to.
Turkey Zucchini Meatballs in Spicy Broth
Serves six hungry people. Have I mentioned before how much I love rice in soup? Yum. The original recipe called for ground beef and beef broth--I thought chicken stock and ground turkey sounded better. And I spiced it up quite a bit--a lot more garlic, some salsa from the fridge. I had some delicious chile powder from New Mexico (thank you, Ellen!), but you can use whatever blended stuff you have around. The fried tortilla strips sort of make the soup (in my un-humble opinion), but you can use purchased tortilla chips. You'll need your biggest soup pot for this.
For meatballs:
1 large jalapéno, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
3/4 c. coarsely grated zucchini
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1/3 c. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Tb. ground cumin
1 1/2 ts. dried oregano, crumbled (preferably Mexican)
1 ts. coarse kosher salt
Soup
2 Tb. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 Tb. chile powder
3 ts. ground cumin
2 qts. chicken stock
1 ts. dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 1/2 c. coarsely grated zucchini
1/2 c. long grain white rice
1/2 c. purchased fresh salsa (I like TJ's Salsa Especial)
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
Toppings
4 Tb. vegetable oil
6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4" strips
chopped fresh cilantro
For meatballs: Gently mix all ingredients. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1" meatballs. Arrange on a cookie sheet and put in the fridge.
For soup: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add chile powder and cumin; stir one minute. Add broth and oregano; bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to very low and cook 10 minutes.
Stir zucchini, rice and salsa into broth. Increase heat to medium and drop in meatballs, one at a time. Return soup to simmer and cook gently until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to avoid boiling, about 20 minutes. Add cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste. Add more lime juice if desired. If the soup needs a litte thinning (in your expert opinion), add a splash of water.
For toppings: Heat vegetable oil in heavy skillet over medium heat for 1 minutes. Add half of tortilla strips. Cook until crisp, gently separating with tongs, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer strips to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips, adding more oil if needed.
To serve: Ladle soup and meatballs into bowls. Top with tortilla strips and cilantro.
January 3, 2010
Reader Comments (15)
Sarah--that is so very true about the jazz metaphor and how it flows into other facets of life. Looks tasty!
Oh yes, what could you substitute for zucchini if one is trying to avoid using it during winter?
What a stunning picture! It would be a perfect January picture on the "IPOL Calendar." What do you think of that idea?? Bon Appetit has taken a real nose dive in my opinion. . .after subscribing for many years, I finally dropped it. I wonder what all the Gourmet people are doing, especially Sara Moulton and Ruth!
what a heart-warming soup. do you think the meatballs could withstand other uses? maybe sauteed and then added to some kind of pasta dish? just wondering. i am in need of a good meatball connection.
Hi Bethany! Yes, I'm sure they could. They are very tender (because of the zucchini), so just be gentle with them. Some time in the fridge would help them firm up for sauteeing.
You might officially be my biggest fan, Pam. I'm so flattered that you want things like calendars and books. Apparently there are websites devoted exclusively to making books (or book-like things) from blogs. I'm not into doing it in a mass-production kind of way, but just for you, I will check it out :)
Hi Kamille! You could just the zucchini out of the meatballs. For the soup, I think thinly sliced cabbage would be a good substitution.
Thanks Sarah:)
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THANK YOU, SARAH!!!
Sarah,
What a great meld of flavors. This was a really great meal. I also appreciate the photography. It really helps me on the presentation. Your literary presentation makes the preparation straightforward and the whole experience was fun. I really appreciate your style and can hardly wait to try a few more. Thanks to your Mom for letting me in on this.
Hi Scott! Welcome! Chalk another one up for my Mom. I should be paying her. She is my biggest promoter by far.
I made this on Saturday.....AWESOME! Very comforting! I have been waiting to find a recipe for my frozen shredded zucchini and this was perfect. substituted parsely for the cilantro because it was no where to be found but still came out excellent. I will definitely make this again! Thanks!
I was realizing today just how many of your recipes I've bookmarked. Made this one tonight and it was a big hit - even the three-year-old ate it! Thanks. ;)
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