MEXICAN MEATBALL SOUP

Mexican Meatball Soup

Well I managed to make dinner, (and take a pic and write up the recipe!)…what a superstar! I am off to NSW tomorrow morning for 5 Celebrate and Bake classes…I had a final edit on my big book chock full of thermo methods and recipes this morning plus a photo shoot for the front cover or something…glamour, glamour all the way! (You should see me at the moment, and then you would recognise the irony in that!) Dinner Spinner, my self published thermomix recipe book, has come in handy for me already..but this is not in it and of course (dear reader) I must look after you all on here still…for free…right? SO happy Mexican Soup…and yes…it feeds a tribe…did I mention? All using a Thermo blender!

Soup;

20g Fini EVOO

3 onions, quartered

1/2 red chilli

4 garlic cloves

300-350g capsicum

40g Umami Paste

2  bay leaves

500g water or liquid stock

2 x 400g tins diced tomatoes

100g Chunky Tomato Salsa

Sea salt to taste

Meatballs;

3-4 cloves garlic

40g red onion

1/2 red chilli (that would be the Other half)

600g beef fillet, cubed

300g pork fillet, cubed

60g polenta

30g whole milk

1 large egg

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 tsp ground cumin

SERVE:

Sprigs coriander

Crumbled tasty cheese of choice

Fresh lime wedges

Steamed long-grain white rice as needed

DO:

Make meatballs first; Preheat oven to 200ºC and line a large tray with baking paper.

Place garlic, onion and chilli into Thermomix bowl and chop 2 sec/speed 6. Scrape down sides of bowl and add remaining ingredients.

Mince 20 sec/Reverse + speed 8-9 until desired consistency is reached. You may need to assist the process with the spatula.

Form walnut sized meatballs and arrange on tray. Bake for 30 minutes until well browned and fragrant.

Meanwhile, without cleaning the bowl,  make the soup;

Place EVOO, onions, chilli and garlic into Thermomix bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 6. Saute 5 min/Varoma/speed 1.

Add remaining ingredients to Thermomix bowl and cook 16 min/100ºC/speed 1.

Serve over steamed rice and meatballs, topped with cheese, coriander and lime juice.

AND DONT BURN YOUR TONGUE in your haste to down this fantastic soup!