Beer broth with mini meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 200 g potato diced
- 125 g swede or parsnip diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 2 to matoes skinned if liked, roughly chopped
- ½ lemon sliced
- 900 ml beef stock
- 450 ml can lager
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 100 g green cabbage finely shredded
- salt and pepper
- Meatballs
- 250 g extra-lean minced beef
- 40 g long-grain rice
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley plus extra to garnish
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until just turning golden around the edges. Stir in the diced root vegetables, the tomatoes and lemon.
- Pour in the stock and lager, then add the spices and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, stirring, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix all the meatball ingredients together. Divide into 18 and shape into small balls with wetted hands. Chill until needed.
- Add the meatballs to the soup, bring the soup back to the boil then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 10 minutes until the cabbage is tender and the meatballs cooked all the way through. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Ladle into shallow bowls and sprinkle with a little chopped parsley if liked.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
For beer broth with suet dumplings, gently fry 500 g (1 lb) thinly sliced onions in the butter for 20 minutes until very soft. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons brown sugar and fry for 10 minutes, stirring until caramelized. Add the lemon slices, stock, lager and spices, omitting the root vegetables and tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Mix 100 g (3½ oz) self-raising flour with 50 g (2 oz) vegetable suet, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and salt and pepper. Stir in 4 tablespoons water, then shape into small balls. Add to the simmering soup, cook for 10 minutes then ladle into bowls and serve.
