Spicy Tomato Soup with Meatballs

Ingredients

Description

As a child I loved tomato soup. My mother made terrific sweet tomato soup and we’d often accompany it with toasted cheese sandwiches on weekends. This tomato soup recipe has added texture and substance, with the tiny meatballs adding an appealing bite. Smoked paprika is worth seeking out for this dish and, combined with the orange, gives a real zing and depth of flavour to the pureed soup. 

Method

Place the minced meat in a bowl. Chop the onion very finely and cook slowly with the olive oil in a small frying pan for about 10 minutes. (An easy alternative is to heat the onion and oil in a plastic container in the microwave for two minutes until the onion softens.)

Cool slightly and add to the mince with the herbs, sauce (or chutney), a generous amount of salt and pepper and the beaten egg. Mix these ingredients together well, then roll into tiny balls about the size of a large marble. Dust lightly with flour. (The mixture should make about 45 meatballs.)

Heat the second quantity of olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and brown meatballs in batches of about 12. Set aside until ready to serve.

To make the soup, take a large heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook the onion until it turns golden brown. Add the paprika, sizzle for about 30 seconds, then tip in the tomatoes and juice. Add the orange juice and zest, the stock, the salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes to develop the flavour.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully puree the soup in a food processor or liquidiser. Wash out the pan, return the soup to the heat, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the cooked meatballs and parsley and serve.

Categories

Beef
Soups

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