Pork Meatball, White Bean and Greens Soup

, from Issue #98. July, 2021
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Pork Meatball, White Bean and Greens Soup

This lovely fennel seed-infused broth is combined with tender pork meatballs, white beans and veges.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

SOUP
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
sea salt and ground pepper
5 cups chicken stock

MEATBALLS
½ cup panko crumbs
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons each whole cumin, coriander and caraway seeds
500 grams pork mince
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
olive oil for frying

TO SERVE
1 cup frozen peas
2 handfuls baby spinach
400-gram tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
shaved parmesan

METHOD

Soup: Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion, carrot, garlic, fennel seeds and bay leaves with a good pinch of salt for 5 minutes. Add the stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Meatballs: Place the crumbs and milk in a bowl, stir and leave for 5 minutes. Toast the seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Grind to a powder. Combine the remaining meatball ingredients, season and roll into walnut-sized balls. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the meatballs until golden.

To serve: Add the peas to the soup and simmer until tender. Stir in the spinach, beans and meatballs and heat through. Divide the meatballs and soup between bowls and top with parmesan.