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Thai Chicken Meatball Soup
This hearty Thai Chicken Meatball Soup is a filling meal with a wonderful and fun pop of flavors. And it’s a delicious velvety broth, too!
Lemongrass Paste
A word on this ingredient…
At most supermarkets in the produce aisle off in the far corners you can probably find a thin woody stalk called lemongrass. Lemongrass is a common ingredient in Thai cooking. The flavor that comes from the lemongrass stalk in lemony and tangy.
When cooking soups with whole lemongrass stalks it is necessary to remove the stalks just before serving. They are too fibrous and stringy to chew and eat. It’s not the end of the world to pick these stalks out when the soup is done cooking. However I’d rather not have to do this step….so I use the lemongrass paste
Much like ginger and garlic, you may find lemongrass in a pre-mashed and macerated paste form.inIt’s usually in the refrigerated section of the produce section of your supermarket. I prefer this paste used in this soup as it gives more overall flavor to the soup.
You can certainly make your own lemongrass paste, but I prefer to use a pre-made brand called Garden Gourmet. Lemongrass paste is also available in a jar in your grocers aisle or on amazon.
What is Glucomannan?
I originally came across Glucomannan as a dietary supplement. While I was not looking to use it as a supplement, I had never thought of using it in my cooking…but it makes sense.
It’s a highly dense vegetable fiber that absorbs liquid.
Glucomannan is fiber extracted from the konjac root, also known as elephant yam.
This is the same ingredient that’s used in shiritaki noodles. It is often sold as a dietary supplement, and you will readily find the Glucomannen capsules sold in most vitamins or dietary supplement aisles.
However, for cooking you will need to buy the loose powder that I find on amazon and sometimes in the baking aisle.
Glucomannan is a great thickener and a little goes a long way in this Soup. Word to the wise…don’t overdo the glucomannan.
For my keto soups, I found that about ¼ teaspoon per cup of liquid produces the right thickness.
Add your glucomannan to your soup to thicken it up. After 5-7 minutes of cooling, if you need to add a smidge more (seriously, just a smidge) then do so and stir to full combine.
Thai Chicken Meatball Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ginger Fresh, peeled and minced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeño de-seeded and minced
- 1 tbsp lemongrass paste
- 2 lbs chicken ground
- 1 cup cilantro fresh leaves and stems finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp low carb sweetener
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 tbsp lime juice plus lime wedges for serving
- 1/2 tsp glucomannan optional soup thickener
Instructions
- Mince together the ginger, garlic, jalapeño and lemongrass into a paste. Transfer half of this paste to a large bowl and set the other half aside.
- To the large bowl, add the ground chicken, finely chopped cilantro, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix and mash the meat mixture to fully combine.
- Use your hands or an ice cream scoop to form 2-inch meatballs. In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs in a single layer and cook. Flip halfway the meatballs through, until golden brown on two sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate and repeat, adding oil as needed.
- Once all the meatballs are browned and out of the pot, add a bit more oil to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the reserved ginger mixture and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sliced mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are soft and weeping.
- Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, low carb sweetener, and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and any juices from the plate, and simmer until the flavors come together and the meatballs are cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and lime juice. If using the glucomannan you can add it at this time. SImply sprinkle 1/4-1/2 tsp of glucomannan over your soup and stir to combine. Soup will thicken within a few minutes.
- Turn off the heat and cover for 2-3 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
- Serve with extra lime wedges and enjoy.
Nutrition
MEDICAL AND NUTRITION DISCLAIMER…Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nutritional break downs are done using a commercial nutrition calculator. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctorbefore starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers, this should never be construed as medical advice.