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meatball soup
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4.84 from 12 votes

Assyrian Meatball Soup (Chipteh)

Delicious and hearty Assyrian meatball soup.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Assyrian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 325kcal

Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • ½ cup jasmine rice
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion minced
  • ½ bell pepper minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon allspice

Soup:

  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • ½ small green pepper 1” strips
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Meatballs:

  • Pour 2 cups of water over the rice and allow to soak for 30 minutes. 
  • Meanwhile, mince half of the bell pepper and one of the two onions which will be mixed into the meatballs. Measure out the meatball spices.
  • Rub the soaked rice between your hands to break it up. This will make it easier to cook inside of the meatballs.
  • Remove approximately half of the rice and add to the meatball mixture along with the basil, salt, and other spices. Set the remaining rice and liquid aside to use in the soup. Knead the meatball mixture with your hands until combined. Form into eight meatballs and set aside until needed.

Soup:

  • Add oil, onion, green pepper, and paprika to a 5-quart Dutch oven. Saute the onion and green pepper over medium heat until soft. 
  • Add tomato paste, and cook for a few more minutes. Add the remaining rice, and the water it has been soaking in. Add an additional four cups of water, basil, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
  • Carefully drop the meatballs into the soup. Cover and cook, over low heat, for 30 minutes, or until the rice inside the meatballs is fully cooked.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and add one meatball in each bowl. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • For a healthier option, skip the rice and use bulgur instead. The bulgur is already parboiled, so you can skip soaking it like when using rice.
  • Bulgur comes in four grinds: #1 fine, #2 medium, #3 coarse, and #4 extra coarse. #2 should be a good option for this recipe.
  • Want to make this soup even healthier? You can replace the beef used to make the meatballs with other healthier options like a bison burger, game meat, or ground turkey.
  • If adding eggs to some of the meatballs, I recommend making the meatballs without the eggs smaller in size so that you can differentiate between the two when serving the meatballs.
  • Unless you want to make it a complete surprise to see who gets the ones with the boiled eggs inside!

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 886mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 13g