Asian Chicken Meatball Soup

An umami-packed spin on chicken noodle soup.

This broth will warm you up, and all the protein and veggies will fill you up.

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Ingredients

Meatballs

4-6 chicken thighs (about 1.5 lbs boneless skinless)

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili sauce; you can get this at any grocer but an asian market would have the best selection)

1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 egg

Big handful cilantro leaves and stems

Soup

2 cups chicken stock

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp turmeric (more if you can handle it; it gives the broth its beautiful golden color and nutty aroma. some people find it a little overpowering though, so add the teaspoon, taste, and add more if you want)

2-4 servings orzo, cooked al dente in salted water

Bunch broccolini (or another fav hearty green veggie. You could sub asparagus or kale here pretty easily)

Instructions

Get chicken thighs cut into cubes and place them into the food processor. Give them a sprinkle of salt and pulse until pretty finely minced.

Add in the rest of the meatball ingredients and pulse again until combined, almost into a paste. Form this mixture into about 16 meatballs.

Get some oil working in a large, high-walled nonstick skillet over medium heat, and gently place meatballs into oil. After about 3-4 minutes, peek and look for a golden brown crust. When you have it, turn them all, giving them a few minutes on each side and flipping until golden brown all over.

Deglaze the pan with chicken stock to “hush” it, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom as it comes up to temperature. Cook your orzo while this is warming.

Add in your other sauces and spices and stir, then cover to simmer the meatballs until cooked through.

Ladle in your orzo and chopped broccolini, steaming until softened slightly. Top with scallion tops and serve!