How to make Chinese Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 8 stalks green onion, chopped
• 1 medium potato
• 6 fresh Shiitake mushrooms, cut into thin stripes
• 8 Bok-Choy leaves, cut into 1/2 inch stripes
• 1 red bell-pepper, cut into 1/2 inch stripes
• 3 dry Thai chilies, chopped
• 2 inch ginger cube, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, separated from the stems
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 1 star anise
• 1 dried clove
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 3 tablespoons Tamari soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 6 cups beef bone broth

Preparation:

 

Start with the meatballs:

1. In a wide mixing bowl, combine the meat, half of the chopped green onions, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the egg, and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.
2. Peel the potato, and, using the smaller setting of a grater, grate it. Squeeze all the liquid out of it and add it to the bowl.
3. With your hands, mix the meat well, tossing and turning until the ingredients are dispersed equally. The mix should be relatively soft and a bit sticky.
4. Form balls the size a bit smaller than a golf ball. Put in the fridge.

Prepare the soup:

 

A wok would be ideal for this, but, if you don’t have one, you can use a wide pot.

1. In a wok, put the coconut oil, ginger, and chilies. On medium-high heat, heat the oil and lightly fry the ginger and chilies for a minute. Add the garlic and fry for another minute, until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic burn.
2. Increase the heat and add the red bell pepper and the mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute.
3. Add the beef broth, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, soy sauce, and the remaining fish sauce.
4. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 8 minutes.
5. Increase the heat and add the meatballs into the soup, bring to a boil, lower to medium heat, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. Add salt, if necessary.
7. Serve in a wide soup bowl. Add the remaining green onion and cilantro on top.