Dutch Vegetable Soup with Meatballs
Submitted by ruby
Hearty Dutch vegetable soup with tender curry-spiced meatballs made from bread-soaked ground beef or veal. Simmered in beef bouillon with carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. A one-pot meal.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
50 minREADY
70 minThe Dutch know a thing or two about a bowl of soup that doubles as a full meal, and this one is a prime example.
Tender meatballs made from ground beef (or veal) mixed with milk-soaked bread, egg, and a surprising hit of curry powder get simmered in a rich beef bouillon alongside sauteed onion, carrots, and celery.
The curry in the meatballs is the secret ingredient here. It adds a warm, earthy depth that makes this soup taste more complex than its simple ingredient list suggests.
Ready in just over an hour, it’s the kind of soul-warming bowl you want on a cold, grey evening.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak stale bread in milk until soft and mash it well before mixing with the meat. This is the secret to meatballs that stay tender and moist instead of dense.
- Shape the meatballs evenly at about 1.5 inches so they cook at the same rate. Wet your hands to keep the mixture from sticking.
- Don’t skip the curry powder. It sounds unusual in a Dutch recipe, but the Netherlands’ colonial history brought Indonesian spices into everyday cooking, and it works beautifully here.
Ingredients
Directions
Soak bread in milk in a large bowl until soft; mash.
Add veal or beef, egg, curry powder, salt, and pepper; mix well.
Shape into 1½ inch balls.
Sauté onion, carrot, and celery in heated butter and oil in a large kettle 5 minutes.
Add bouillon and thyme or marjoram.
Bring to a boil.
Lower heat and cook slowly, covered, 20 minutes.
Add meatballs and cook about 25 minutes, until vegetables and meatballs are tender.
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