Thai Inspired Meatball Soup With Rice Noodles
This Thai-inspired meatball soup with rice noodles is packed with flavor and a great balance of carbs, fat, protein, and veggies to keep you fueled. With lots of fresh aromatics, this soup is inspired by flavors from one of our favorite Thai soups—Tom Kha Gai.
Servings: 4
Calories: 629kcal
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- ½ jalapeño, diced
- ¼ cup minced cilantro
- 1 egg (*see notes below)
- ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs or almond flour
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil (to heat in the pan)
For the soup:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 3 large carrots, diced
- ½ jalapeño, diced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1, 14 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Juice from 1 lime
- ¼ cup cilantro, minced + more for garnish if desired
- 4 cups spinach
- Salt to taste
For serving:
- 8 ounces uncooked rice noodles
Instructions
- Begin by making the meatballs. Add the ground chicken, jalapeno, cilantro, egg*, breadcrumbs, minced ginger & garlic, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix until combined. Use a small cookie scoop to form small 1-inch meatballs and set the meatballs aside on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Heat a large pot (if you prefer to use one pan) or a non-stick skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs in a single layer and prevent them from touching. You may have to do 2 separate batches depending on how large your pot is. Let the meatballs cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and fully cooked through in the center reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Set the meatballs aside on a plate.
- While the meatballs are cooking, cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Once they are cooked al dente, drain the water and run them under cold water to stop the cooking.
- Place the large pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the minced garlic & ginger, carrots, and jalapeno. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the carrots have started to soften.
- Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, sugar, and soy sauce to the pot and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce to a simmer and add the meatballs in as well as the lime juice, cilantro, spinach, and salt to taste. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted.
- Serve the soup by placing your desired amount of rice noodles in the bottom of the bowl and then adding the soup on top. Serve with more lime and cilantro if desired.
Notes
- *If you notice that your ground chicken has a lot of moisture, you may want to use ½ of an egg instead of an entire egg to ensure the meatballs aren't too wet and will hold their shape well.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container. The leftovers will stay good for 3-4 days.
- This recipe is gluten-free with the use of almond flour. This soup is dairy-free.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25of the recipe | Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 64.8g | Protein: 31.2g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 19.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.9g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 1022mg | Potassium: 442mg | Fiber: 3.7g | Sugar: 7.7g
