Armenian Yogurt and Meatball Soup

Enjoy this Armenian Yogurt and Meatball Soup as a creamy, hearty way to warm up as the weather turns chilly. Dried spearmint and Aleppo chili flakes give a refreshing little kick of flavor. Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb 85% lean ground beef
• 3 Tbl water
• 1 ¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
• ¼ tsp baking soda, divided
• ½ cup gluten free panko
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper, divided
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground black pepper, divided

• 4 Tbl unsalted butter, divided
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 tsp dried spearmint
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1-15oz can chickpeas
• 1 cup small pasta shells
• 1 ½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 large egg yolk

Method:

Toss beef with water, 1 teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Add gluten-free panko, 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, coriander, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and mix by hand until uniform. Transfer meat mixture to cutting board and press into 6-inch square. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, divide mixture into 36 squares (6 rows by 6 rows). Using your lightly moistened hands, roll each square into smooth ball and leave on cutting board.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, mint, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, remaining ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has broken down into soft paste and is just starting to stick to saucepan, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add broth, chickpeas and their liquid, and meatballs to saucepan. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Adjust heat to maintain simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and continue to cook until pasta is tender. While pasta cooks, whisk yogurt and egg yolk together in large bowl.

Remove saucepan from heat. Using ladle, transfer 1½ cups broth to liquid measuring cup (try to avoid meatballs, pasta, and chickpeas). Whisking vigorously, gradually add broth to yogurt mixture. Add half of yogurt-broth mixture back to saucepan and stir to combine. Stir in remaining yogurt-broth mixture. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes to thicken.

Heat soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until temperature registers between 180 and 185 degrees (do not allow soup to boil or yogurt will curdle). Remove from heat. Broth should have consistency of buttermilk; if thicker, adjust by adding hot water, 2 tablespoons at a time. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and season with salt to taste.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Off heat, stir in remaining 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle each portion with 1 teaspoon spiced butter, sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat gently, being careful not to allow temperature to exceed 180 degrees. If necessary, thin by adding water, 2 tablespoons at a time.

Notes: Recipe adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen. The mint type is dried spearmint, it is not suggested to substitute for fresh as they have different flavor profiles. The pasta can be elbow macaroni, shells or shapes.