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A bowl of soup with small meatballs, orzo pasta, and fresh parsley garnish sits on a green cloth with a spoon in the bowl. The broth is light and clear, showing the pasta and meatballs clearly.
5 from 6 ratings

Brothy Meatball & Orzo Soup

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This brothy meatball and orzo soup is a light yet comforting soup made with tender kofta-style beef meatballs, tender orzo pasta, and a flavourful chicken broth. The meatballs are seasoned with warm spices inspired by middle eastern kofta, then simmered gently to keep them juicy. The clear broth feels nourishing and cozy without being heavy. It's an easy one-pot soup perfect for chilly days!
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Ingredients
 

For the Meatballs:

  • 454 g lean ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves, large
  • 1/2 cup parsley, loosely packed
  • 1/2 yellow onion, quartered
  • 1 teaspoon seven spice, substitute allspice
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, dry

For the Soup:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup orzo
  • 5 cups chicken broth, homemade or store bought
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste, based on salt content of chicken broth

Instructions
 

  • Peel and quarter the 1/2 yellow onion, and peel the 2 garlic cloves. Blitz the onions, 1/2 cup parsley and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. You can also chop finely by hand if you don't have a food processor.
  • Combine the 454 g lean ground beef, finely chopped vegetables, 1 teaspoon seven spice, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in a bowl. Mix well until all ingredients are well combined.
  • Shape into meatballs, roughly 1/2 an inch in size. Meatballs should be uniform so they can cook evenly.
  • In a medium sized soup pot, add the 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil on medium heat. Sear the meatballs until browned on all sides, working in batches to avoid steaming. Remove from the pot and set aside.
  • Add the 1/2 cup orzo and toast it in the leftover fat for a 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the 5 cups chicken broth and simmer the orzo for 7 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  • Add the meatballs back in and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the soup for more salt (remember to not add too much until you taste, because this depends on how salty your chicken broth is). Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

Notes

  • You can use extra lean ground beef, but if you do, I suggest you add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the mixture to help them stay juicy.
  • If you want to use the meatballs in other recipes, shape them into larger 1-inch balls for all-purpose use. But for this recipe, I prefer them smaller.
  • The key flavour builders in this soup is browning the meatballs, toasting the orzo, and using a high quality store bought or homemade broth.
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 373kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 954mg, Potassium: 783mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 820IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 5mg
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