Swedish Meatball Soup
Swedish Meatball Soup combines tender beef and pork meatballs with potatoes, noodles, cheddar, and cream in a rich, flavorful broth.
8 Servings
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground white or black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 12 oz ground beef
- 4 oz ground sweet pork sausage
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the Soup:
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 3 medium celery stalks sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 2 small carrots sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 5 cloves garlic grated
- 8 oz russet potatoes peeled and chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- Kosher salt to taste
- Ground white or black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
- 1 cup lager beer
- 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 oz egg noodles
- 4 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup heavy or light cream
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Prepare the meatball mixture:
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs, grated garlic, cream, salt, allspice, nutmeg, pepper, and ginger. Mix until well blended. Add the ground beef and pork sausage, and stir gently until incorporated.
Form the meatballs:
- Shape the mixture into 18–20 balls, each about one heaping tablespoon. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brown the meatballs:
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides but not fully cooked through, about 2–3 minutes per side. Remove and place them on a clean, parchment-lined sheet.
Sauté the vegetables:
- In the same pot, add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the grated garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the potatoes and cook until their edges turn translucent, about 3–5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Build the soup base:
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Add the mustard, followed by the beer. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and cook until slightly reduced, about 3–5 minutes.
Simmer with broth and meatballs:
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Return the meatballs to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and both the meatballs and carrots are tender, 7–9 minutes.
Add noodles and finish:
- Stir in the egg noodles and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. While stirring, add the grated cheddar and cream until fully melted and incorporated.
Serve:
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
To prepare this recipe gluten-free, substitute the bread crumbs in the meatballs with a gluten-free variety. Use gluten-free flour in the soup base and gluten-free noodles in place of egg noodles. Always ensure that mustard and broth are certified gluten-free.