1 egg
1/4 cup grated onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 TB minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 lb ground meat *
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
2 green onions (scallions) sliced
1/4 tsp each black pepper and thyme
1 each rib celery and carrot, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 cup vermicelli noodles
1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
In a bowl, combine egg, onion, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in ground meat. Shape into 1 TB sized balls. Baked on greased baking sheet in 400 F oven until digital thermometer inserted in centre of several reads 165 F (74 C), about 15 minutes.
In a large pan or Dutch oven, bring broth and water to boil. Add green onions, celery, carrot, black pepper and thyme; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add red pepper and meatballs.; simmer, covered for 10 minutes. This step really adds to the flavour of what otherwise might seem like a boring broth.
Add noodles and cook until al dente - usually less than 5 minutes.
Add peas and heat through.
Notes and Tips...
Onions - grating onions is one of my least favourite cooking tasks, and yet is ideal for use in meatballs (no rustic chopping here...). I have tried more than one grater (often reputable, brand name) but have not yet found "grating happiness". I either just put up with the task, or sometimes push the onion through the feed-tube on my food processor with the grating disk inserted - just makes for a lot of cleanup...
Ground meat - the original recipe calls for ground turkey, but I like to use ground veal.
Greased baking sheet - I avoid messy cleanups by using non-stick foil.
Shaping into balls - this is always easy and fast using kitchen scoops.
Digital thermometer - I have one and use it often, but not for this recipe. The meatballs are small and are likely to be done in the time suggested. I tend to keep them in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until they develop a nice brown "outer crust" which I think adds flavour to the soup.
Noodles - these can be purchased in most grocery stores and / or simply buy a package of "Mr. Noodle" and use the noodles only. Note: like most noodles, these absorb the soup liquid and if the soup sits for a while, it will become thick - simply add water or broth. If making the entire soup the day before, add the noodles just before serving.
Make-ahead - the meatballs could be made day ahead and refrigerated until being used.
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