Pork Meatball Soup is a delicious and nutritious soup that is perfect for a family dinner or everyday meal. Here is a basic recipe for making pork meatball soup that you can adjust to your personal taste and preference:

 Ingredients

- **Pork filling**: about 500 grams. Choose pork with fat and lean meat for a better taste.

- **Egg**: 1, used to increase the elasticity and taste of the meatballs.

- Starch (corn starch or potato starch): about 2 tablespoons, for the shape and texture of the meatballs.

- **Scallions and ginger**: Appropriate amount, chopped, used to remove fishy smell and increase aroma.

- **Salt and pepper**: Add as much as you like and season according to your taste.

- **Chicken bouillon or chicken powder**: appropriate amount, optional, to increase the flavor.

- **Fragrance oil**: A little to enhance the scent.

- **Broth or water**: About 1.5 liters, you can use chicken broth, bone broth or water.

- **Vegetables**: such as Chinese cabbage, spinach, carrots, etc., sliced ​​or shredded to increase the nutrition and taste of the soup.

 practice

1. **Prepare the meatballs**:

- Put the pork filling into a large bowl, add eggs, starch, chopped green onion and ginger, salt, pepper, chicken stock (optional) and sesame oil, mix well until the meat filling becomes sticky.

- Use your hands or a spoon to roll the meat filling into small balls, adjusting the size according to personal preference.

2. **Cooking soup**:

- Add broth or water to a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

- When the water boils, gently place the meatballs into the pot, turn to medium-low heat, and let the meatballs slowly cook.

- Once the meatballs float, add the chopped vegetables and continue cooking until the vegetables are softened.

- Depending on your personal taste, you can adjust the amount of salt at this point to ensure the soup has just the right flavor.

3. **Seasoning and serving**:

- When the meatballs and vegetables are cooked through, turn off the heat and sprinkle some chopped green onions or coriander on top to enhance the flavor.

- Serve the soup and enjoy.

The preparation of pork meatball soup can be changed according to the season and available ingredients. For example, in summer, some refreshing vegetables such as cucumbers or tomatoes can be added, and in winter, some root vegetables such as carrots or potatoes can be added to increase the richness and nutrition of the soup. This soup is not only delicious, but also provides rich protein and multiple vitamins. It is a healthy and delicious dish.

The key to making elastic pork meatballs lies in the processing of the meat filling and the ingredients added. Here are some tips to improve the elasticity of pork meatballs:

1. **Choose the right meat filling**: Use pork filling that has a certain fat ratio, usually around 3:7 or 2:8. The fat will melt when heated, making the meatballs moister inside, while the lean meat provides structure and makes the meatballs springy.

2. **Add eggs**: The protein in the eggs will solidify when heated, helping the meatballs keep their shape and increasing their elasticity and taste. Usually 500 egg is added for every 1 grams of minced meat.

3. **Use starch**: Starch (such as corn starch or potato starch) absorbs water and expands when heated, which helps the meatballs stay moist while providing extra structure and elasticity. Generally, add about 500 tablespoons of starch for every 2 grams of minced meat.

4. **Stir the meat thoroughly**: After all the ingredients are combined, you need to stir the meat thoroughly until it becomes sticky and elastic. This step activates the muscle fibers in the meat, allowing it to form a tight structure when heated. However, be careful not to over-stir, otherwise the meatballs may become too firm and lose their taste.

5. **Ice water soak**: Some tips suggest soaking the meatballs in ice water for a while after mixing the meat filling, which helps the protein coagulate, thereby increasing the elasticity and taste of the meatballs. But this step is not necessary, it depends on personal preference and specific recipes.

6. **Control cooking temperature and time**: Meatballs should be cooked slowly over medium-low heat to avoid burning the outside and undercooking the inside. Too high a temperature will cause the protein in the meat filling to shrink quickly, causing the meatballs to become hard. Make sure the meatballs are fully cooked inside, but avoid overcooking to maintain their best taste.

With the above tips, you can make pork meatballs that are springy and rich in taste. Remember to add a small amount of water or broth several times when mixing the meat filling, which will also help improve the moistness and elasticity of the meatballs.

The method of mincing meat is crucial to making pork meatballs with good elasticity. Traditional mincing methods may affect the taste of meatballs due to the heat generated during the mincing process and excessive breaking of the meat. Here are some mincing tips to help preserve the elasticity of pork meatballs to the greatest extent:

1. **Use cold meat**: Refrigerate the pork until it is close to freezing but not completely frozen. Cold meat is easier to hold its shape during the mincing process and reduces the heat generated by friction, which prevents the meat from becoming too compact or drying out.

2. **Manual chopping**: Although manual chopping takes a long time, it allows for more precise control of the degree of meat crushing and avoids over-crushing. When chopping meat manually, the fiber structure of the meat is maintained, which helps the elasticity and taste of the meatballs.

3. **Choose the right meat grinder**: If you use a meat grinder, choose a meat grinder blade with fine holes, which can grind the meat into finer particles while avoiding over-crushing. Before grinding the meat, make sure the blade and container of the meat grinder are cold, which helps keep the meat cool and reduces the heat generated during the grinding process.

4. **Mince meat in batches**: If the amount of meat to be minced is large, it is recommended to mince it in batches to avoid mincing too much meat at one time. Too much meat in the meat grinder will easily generate too much friction and heat, affecting the quality of the meat.

5. Mincing speed: When using a meat grinder, choose medium or low speed to grind the meat to avoid excessive heat generated by high-speed grinding. This also helps maintain the fiber structure of the meat.

6. **Avoid over-grinding**: Once the meat is ground to the desired fineness, stop immediately to avoid over-grinding, which will cause the meat to become firm and affect the elasticity of the meatballs.

7. **Add appropriate amount of water or ice cubes**: When mincing or stirring meat, you can add a small amount of water or ice cubes, which not only helps to keep the meat at a low temperature, but also increases the moisture of the meat filling, thereby improving the taste of the meatballs.

The above mincing techniques can make pork meatballs with a softer and more elastic texture. Remember to make meatballs immediately after mincing the meat to avoid leaving it for a long time, which may cause the meat to dry out or lose its elasticity.

The seasonings for pork meatball soup can be adjusted based on personal taste and preference, but here are some basic and commonly used seasonings that can add rich flavor to the soup:

1. **Salt**: A basic seasoning used to enhance the natural flavor of ingredients. Add the appropriate amount according to personal taste and the consistency of the soup.

2. **White pepper**: Milder than black pepper, it can add aroma to the soup without being too spicy.

3. **Chicken bouillon or chicken powder**: used to increase the flavor of the soup, but it is not necessary, especially when using broth as the soup base.

4. **Light soy sauce**: A little light soy sauce can add color and layering to the soup, but be careful to use it to avoid the soup becoming too salty.

5. **Scallion and ginger**: Sliced ​​or shredded scallion and ginger can be added to the soup to remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor. You can decide whether to remove them after cooking according to your personal preference.

6. **Coriander and celery leaves**: Used as decoration and seasoning, they can be sprinkled on the surface of the soup after it is cooked to add a fresh aroma.

7. **Sesame oil**: A few drops of sesame oil can enhance the aroma and taste of the soup, especially when added after turning off the heat to prevent the aroma from evaporating.

8. **Minced garlic**: A proper amount of minced garlic can enhance the flavor of the soup, but not too much, otherwise the taste will be too strong.

9. **Rice vinegar**: A small amount of rice vinegar can add a layer of flavor to the soup, especially for those who like hot and sour flavors.

10. **Chili oil or chili powder**: If you like spicy food, you can add an appropriate amount of chili oil or chili powder, but it should be adjusted according to your personal tolerance for spicy food.

11. **Cooking wine**: Before cooking the meatballs, you can add a small amount of cooking wine to the meat filling to help remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor of the meatballs.

When seasoning, it is recommended to try basic salt and pepper first, and then add other seasonings according to personal taste. Remember to try seasoning gradually to avoid adding too much at once and causing the taste to be too strong. The key to seasoning pork meatball soup is balance, allowing the various flavors to complement each other, rather than having one flavor stand out too much.

Pairing pork meatball soup with various vegetables can not only enhance the nutrition of the soup, but also increase the diversity of flavor and taste. The following are some vegetables that are suitable for pairing with pork meatball soup. You can choose according to the season and personal taste:

1. **Bok choy or spinach**: These leafy greens are rich in vitamins and minerals, have a tender texture after cooking, and can add a fresh flavor to soups.

2. **Carrots**: Thinly sliced ​​or diced carrots can add sweetness and color to the soup while providing rich beta-carotene.

3. **Zucchini (cucumber)**: The sliced ​​zucchini is cooked in the soup until slightly cooked, with a crispy and tender texture, bringing a touch of freshness to the soup.

4. **Tomatoes**: Diced tomatoes can bring a natural sweet and sour taste to the soup, while increasing the color and nutrition of the soup.

5. **Mushrooms**: Such as shiitake, white button mushrooms or enoki mushrooms, these mushrooms not only add umami flavor to the soup, but also provide additional fiber and protein.

6. **Winter melon**: Cut the winter melon into small pieces and cook until it is transparent. It has a smooth and tender texture and can bring a sweet taste to the soup.

7. **Bean sprouts**: Add bean sprouts when the soup is almost done to keep their crisp texture while adding a fresh flavor to the soup.

8. **Corn**: Sweet corn kernels or corn cobs can add sweetness and taste to the soup, especially for children.

9. **Peas or edamame**: These small veggies are not only colorful, but they also add texture and nutrition to the soup.

10. **Celery**: Cut celery can bring a unique aroma and crisp taste to the soup.

11. **Kelp or wakame**: These seaweed vegetables add a marine flavor to soups while providing minerals such as iodine.

12. **Onions or scallions**: Sliced ​​onions or scallions are cooked in the soup until softened, which can bring a rich aroma to the soup.

When choosing vegetables, it is recommended to decide the order in which they are added to the soup based on their cooking time and hardness. Add hard vegetables that require a long time to cook first, and then add soft vegetables that are easy to cook, to ensure that each vegetable has the best taste.

In addition to traditional meatball soup, creative combinations can make your table more colorful. Here are some innovative meatball soup combinations that you can try:

1. **Seafood meatball soup**: Use shrimp, fish or cuttlefish meat to make meatballs, and cook them with broccoli, carrots and mushrooms. You can add coconut milk or lemon juice to enhance the flavor and make a refreshing soup rich in marine flavor.

2. **Thai Lemongrass Meatball Soup**: Pork meatballs or chicken meatballs are cooked with lemongrass, lemongrass, lime leaves and chili, and then added with coconut milk and fish sauce to create a sour, spicy and fragrant Thai-style soup.

3. Minestrone with Meatballs: Meatballs (usually beef, breadcrumbs, cheese and spices) are cooked with tomatoes, beans, pasta and a variety of vegetables for a rich Italian flavor.

4. **Japanese Miso Meatball Soup**: Use pork or chicken meatballs, add miso, kelp and bonito flakes to make a broth, then add tofu, cabbage and chopped green onions to create a warm soup full of Japanese flavor.

5. **Mexican-style meatball soup**: Use beef meatballs with chili and spices, cook them with tomatoes, corn, beans and avocado, add tomato sauce and chili powder, to make a soup full of South American style.

6. **Indian Curry Meatball Soup**: Cook chicken or lamb meatballs with curry powder with coconut milk, curry leaves, ginger and garlic, and add carrots, potatoes and peas to make a fragrant Indian-style soup.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like