Nourishing Porcupine Meatball Soup

Well-seasoned meatballs and root vegetables makes this soup a hearty and delicious meal. Double the meatballs for easy meal and use bone broth for this Nourishing Porcupine Meatball Soup.

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There’s the Seared- Filet-Mignon- with-Rich- Balsamic- Glaze-and-Mushrooms nights and then there are the nights where this soup is on the menu to appease the hangry family.

Nourishing Porcupine Meatball Soup

And trust me, this Nourishing Porcupine Meatball Soup is just as delicious as the best cut of steak when you’re ravenous.  It’s loaded with filling meatballs and potatoes – perfect comforting treat after a long day.  I appreciate that this soup is quick to make and my boys like the fact that it’s packed with ingredients that will soothe their empty bellies.

To maximize my time in the kitchen, I always try to double or sometimes even triple the batch for the meatballs and save them for future easy meatball soups.  It’s like unintentional freezer cooking, you won’t miss the few extra minutes that it takes for that extra batch and you’ll be grateful that you did it when hunger strikes.

Arsenic Concerns in White Rice

I prefer to use Lundberg for all of my rice as they routinely test for arsenic, and their levels are one of the lowest in the country. (source)   Arsenic is an element found in nature and is taken up by plants (i.e. rice) as they grow which naturally causes arsenic to be in our food system. Long term exposure to high levels of arsenic can lead to health problems but the good news is that most arsenic leaves your body within a few days.  This is another reason why it’s always best to follow a balanced diet rather an extreme one focusing on one food (group).

Related: How to Cook Perfect Rice in the Electric Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)

Helpful Tips to make this Porcupine Meatball Soup:

• For more nutrition, you can soak the rice for 12 hours prior to cooking to release some of that phytic acid. You can learn more about how to soak and cook white rice in the electric pressure cooker in this post.
• Ingredient amount in the recipe card makes a large pot of soup. I use my Lodge 7.5 Quart Dutch Oven and it fills it up nicely. This is one of our favorite soups, so leftovers are always welcome. Feel free to cut the recipe in half if making for smaller group.
• If not wanting leftovers, freeze the meatballs for another fresh batch of soup at a later time.
• Use your favorite vegetables. We love potatoes and carrots but radishes, celeriac, and even brussel sprouts are delicious.
• Use bone broth for maximum nutrition. You can find my simple recipe HERE using one of three methods: slow cooker, electric pressure cooker, or stove top. I’ve used all three in the past and my favorite has and is using my Instant Pot.

Tools Used in this Porcupine Meatball Soup:

Stainless Steel Cookie Sheets – these are convenient to line with parchment paper and set the meatballs to be flash frozen.
Lodge 7.5 qt. Dutch Oven – I use this for majority of my soups (both thick, creamy, and clear) when not using my electric pressure cooker. It makes a large batch and keeps heat well.
Fiesta Soup Bowls – these in white are supposedly lead-free and are perfect for this soup.

Nourishing Porcupine Meatball Soup

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 12 people

Author: Anya

Hearty porcupine meatballs with root vegetables cooked in nourishing bone broth makes a healthy meal. 

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Ingredients

For meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 1/2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For soup:

• 2 tablespoon healthy cooking fat such as butter, ghee, lard or tallow , ghee, lard or tallow
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 4 quarts bone broth
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Meatballs

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for meatballs. Mix well. 

2. Using a teaspoon, spoon and form a meatball the size of ping-pong ball and place on a sheet lined with parchment paper. 

3. Place meatballs in the freezer while working on the soup (this step will help the meatballs keep their shape).

Soup

1. In a large pot, heat cooking fat of choice. 

2. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add carrots and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until just barely soft.

3. Pour bone broth and add diced potatoes. Close the pot and bring to a boil.

4. Remove meatballs from the freezer. Add them one by one into the pot with boiling broth and vegetables. Bring to boil again. 
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and let cook for additional 10 minutes.
6. Garnish with parsley or dill.

Recipe Notes

Meatballs can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer, doing this will give you dinner under 30 on busy nights. It's also a good idea to double the meatballs for two pots of soup.

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