SPICY MEATBALL SOUP
This is real comfort food, meatballs in a richly spicy soup. It adds hugely to the flavor if you can find chipotles in adobo—jalapeño chiles in a smoky, sweet and sour purée—but if you can’t, you could try regular chiles with a teaspoon or two of smoked paprika.
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS
TO SERVE
Instructions
  1. First prepare the meatballs. Sauté the onion and garlic with salt and pepper to taste in a hot oiled frying pan for about 5 minutes until soft and lightly colored, adding the chile flakes after a minute or two. Place the beef in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Put the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl and moisten with the milk. Add salt and pepper, then stir the breadcrumbs and onion mixture into the beef and combine well. With wet hands, shape the beef mixture into balls just smaller than a golf ball (about 1¼ inches wide). Transfer to a lightly greased plate or baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes until firm.
  2. Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for the soup base with a pinch of salt and pepper for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the cumin seeds and meatballs and cook over high heat to toast the cumin seeds and color the meatballs on all sides.
  3. Add the chipotle chile paste and stir over high heat. Add the canned tomatoes, oregano, and stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Season with salt and pepper and gently simmer for 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the soup has thickened a little. (This can be done in advance, then left overnight for the flavors to develop if you prefer.)
  4. Before serving, add the corn and zucchini and cook for 3–4 minutes until both are tender. Serve the soup garnished with crushed tortilla chips, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers.
HOW TO FREEZE MEATBALLS
  1. The meatballs in this recipe freeze brilliantly and can be used in many different ways. Just remember to let the onion and garlic mixture cool completely before combining it with the beef and rolling into balls. Freeze right away and allow to defrost completely before cooking.