Meatball Soup (Sulu köfte)
Overview
Sulu köfte, 'meatballs in liquid', is a homely soup of tiny meatballs simmered in a light tomato broth with diced potato and carrot. The meatballs are often mixed with a little rice and rolled in flour, which helps thicken the broth as they cook. Many families finish it with an egg and lemon liaison for a creamy, tangy body, while others keep it simple with just lemon juice and mint. It is a complete meal in a bowl, and a common weeknight dinner in Turkish homes, especially in winter.
History
Meatball soups appear across the former Ottoman lands, from the Balkans to the Middle East, often finished with egg and lemon. In Turkey, sulu köfte became one of the standard dishes of home cooking, valued because a small amount of meat feeds a whole family. Recipes vary from region to region and house to house, and the name covers both brothy soups and thicker stews.
Main ingredients
Small meatballs, rice, potato, carrot, tomato paste, lemon. The soup is built on tomato broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~60 min
Ingredients
- 300 g minced beef or lamb
- 2 tbsp rice, 1 grated onion
- 2 potatoes and 1 carrot, diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 egg yolk, juice of 1 lemon
- flour for rolling, dried mint
Method
- Mix the meat with rice, onion and salt; roll into hazelnut-sized balls and dust with flour.
- Fry the tomato paste in a little oil, add 1.5 l water, potatoes and carrot and bring to the boil.
- Drop in the meatballs and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Temper the egg yolk and lemon with broth, stir in off the boil and finish with mint.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.