lemony chicken meatball soup with spinach

 

Excellent!  Hall of Fame, in fact.  My family loved this soup.

lemony chicken meatball soup with spinach (my husband found the recipe)

1 pound ground chicken

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 small red onion, 1/2 diced and 1/2 grated then squeezed with a paper towel

1/2 cup packed fresh dill leaves, finely chopped (I used 1 tablespoon freeze dried dill)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon ground turmeric

kosher salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil (I used half)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes plus more for serving

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups packed baby spinach (I'll double next time!)

2 lemons, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges for serving

In a medium bowl, add the chicken, feta, 1/4 cup oats, grated onion, most of the dill, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt.  Gently combine without squeezing too hard or overworking the meat.  Shape the meat into small balls about 1 1/2 inches.  You might have approximately 25 balls.

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.  Add the diced onion, season with salt and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon turmeric and the red pepper flakes, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Push the onions to the sides as best you can, then add the meatballs.  Cook until browned on two sides, 5-7 minutes.

Pour in the broth and remaining 1/2 cup oats, then gently tilt the pot to the right and left to distribute the oats and broth without disturbing the meatballs.  Bring to a gentle boil; then immediately reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer.  Season with salt.  Cook, gently stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, until the oats have softened and the meatballs are cooked through, about 4 minutes more.

Stir in the spinach and lemon juice until the spinach is wilted.  Adjust the seasoning to taste.  Spoon into bowls, top with pepper and the remaining dill.  Serve with lemon wedges.