Easy Russian Meatball Soup (Mom's Recipe)

(mydeliciousmeals.com)
Easy Russian Meatball Soup (Mom's Recipe)

Russian meatball soup is usually called in Russia "Soup with frikadelki". A nostalgic dish my mom used to make often during my childhood.

It's a simple soup that's flavorful, healthy, and hearty, making it a perfect choice for the whole family. I use ground beef for the meatballs in this soup recipe, but you can use ground pork or even ground chicken instead. This comfort food classic is sure to become a favorite soup in your home.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 8 cups water (you can use half water and half chicken stock for added flavor)
  • 2 potatoes (large, cut into small cubes)
  • 1/4 cup rice (rinsed, you can use cauliflower rice for Whole30)
  • 2 celery ribs
  • 1 carrot (grated or chopped)
  • 1 onion (chop half of it, keep second half as one piece)
  • 1 clove garlic (finely grated)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • parsley (finely chopped)
  • dill (finely chopped)
  • salt
  • pepper
Yield:
Servings
Prep time:
15 minutes
Cook time:
30 minutes
Total time:
45 minutes
Yield: 5 Servings | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil. Add rinsed rice, celery, onion half and bay leaf; reduce heat to medium low.
2. Cut the potatoes into small cubes and add to the water.
Potatoes cut into bite-sized cubes on a cutting board.
3. In a separate bowl, mix ground beef and finely grated garlic, add a little bit of fresh chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Using your hands, form small meatballs, each about the size of a walnut.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and sear the meatballs until browned (about 5 minutes). Add to the soup. (I prefer to sear meatballs in order to get a clearer broth).
Ground beef meatballs searing in a skillet.
Pot of Russian meatball soup cooking on stove top.
5. In a separate skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and sauté the remaining chopped onion and carrot for about 5-7 minutes, or until onion mixture becomes soft and translucent. Add to the soup.
Onions and carrots searing in a skillet.
6. Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Remove celery, onion half and bay leaf. Turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh herbs (like chopped parsley or dill). Serve hot.
Finished Russian Meatball Soup in a pot on stove top.
A bowl filled with Russian Meatball Soup with fresh vegetables and rice on the background.
A bowl of Russian Meatball Soup (aka soup s frikadelkami) topped with fresh dill.

Shop products and ingredients I recommend for this recipe:

Ground Beef

Ground Beef
Russet Potatoes

Russet Potatoes
White Jasmine Rice

White Jasmine Rice
Celery Sticks

Celery Sticks
Onion

Onion
Garlic

Garlic
Bay Leaves

Bay Leaves
Avocado Oil

Avocado Oil
Fresh Parsley

Fresh Parsley
Fresh Dill

Fresh Dill
Chicken Broth

Chicken Broth

Note: This post may contain affiliate links for products I like. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I'll earn some coffee money at no cost to you, which I promise to drink while creating more helpful recipes like this ;) Thank you for supporting My Delicious Meals!

About Alena

Welcome to my website!

I’m Alena, the blogger at MyDeliciousMeals since 2010. My goal with MyDeliciousMeals is for you to discover the joy of cooking and to find lots of new favorite recipes that your family will enjoy. I’m so happy you stopped by!

Comments

Add Comment

Everyone loved it

Guest
I followed the recipe exactly and the soup came out perfectly. My family loved the use of dill in the broth and commented on how unique and yummy it was.
Reply

alenatrs
The dill works especially well for this recipe. I'm glad your family enjoyed this meatball soup! - Alena
Reply

I've made this at least five times.

Guest
I was looking for shchi recipes when I came across your site. Since then I've been trying out your recipes (shchi, meatball, cod, and pickled) and loving every single one of them. So simple and yet so delicious! This meatball soup is fantastic and has become a staple in my life. I've found that 85/15 beef is ideal because the fat gives the broth an amazing depth. Just wonderful.
Reply

alenatrs
I'm so glad you enjoyed this meatball soup! Thank you for your wonderful comment! - Alena
Reply

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