Ali Slagle's lamb meatball soup (with chickpeas)
Tangy and sinus-clearing like sopa de lima, consomé de barbacoa, and Tex-Mex tortilla soup.
Note from Primary Beans: For an even tastier result without much extra lift, try swapping the cans for freshly cooked chickpeas (approx. ½ lb dried). We love the enhanced texture as well as the aromatic broth you can use instead of the canned stuff :)
Serves 4.
Featured bean: Chickpea
Take 'em from dried to cooked with our guide!
Ingredients
- Carrots
- Red onion
- Ground lamb
- Chicken stock
- Cilantro
- Bay leaves
- Chickpeas
- Tortilla chips
- Lime
Steps
- Cut 2 large carrots into ¼-inch pieces. Finely chop 1 large red onion. In a medium bowl, season 1 pound ground lamb with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium-high. Add the carrots and all but a handful of the red onion, season with S&P, and cook until softened and browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add 4 cups chicken stock, 2 cups water, 6 or so cilantro sprigs, and 4 bay leaves. Season with S&P, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the broth is flavorful, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, including their liquid. Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to plop lamb meatballs into the broth. Simmer, stirring gently and occasionally, until the lamb is cooked through (160°F), 5 to 7 minutes. (Keeps for 4 days in the fridge.)
- Finely chop ½ cup cilantro, stems and all. Remove the soup from the heat and discard the bay leaves and cilantro sprigs. Season to taste with S&P. Crumble some salty tortilla chips into serving bowls, then spoon the soup on top. Add the remaining red onion, chopped cilantro, and a lot of fresh lime juice.
Reprinted from I Dream of Dinner. Copyright © 2022 by Alexandra Slagle. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Mark Weinberg. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House. For online, a link to method of purchase is required (e.g. Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Powells.com, IndieBound.org or any online bookseller of your choice.
