Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup

Ingredients

Rice

• 2.5 cups of dry rice
• oil
• salt

Seasoning to be divided between soup and meatballs!

• 3 Tbsps garlic ginger paste
• 2 thai red chili peppers or to taste, finely chopped

Meatballs

• Half of the seasoning mixture
• 2 lbs ground chicken or turkey
• 1 large bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsps fish sauce
• 1 tsp Kosher salt

Soup

• 2 Tbsps vegetable oil
• Half of the seasoning mixture
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 14-oz can of full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• ~300g frozen chopped spinach
• 1 Tbsp lime juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Make the rice according to package directions (we usually add oil and salt)
4. Prepare the seasoning mixture
5. Prepare the meatballs: blend all ingredients, divide into golf ball sized balls and bake for 12 minutes or until cooked
6. Heat the oil, then add the second half of the seasoning mixture.
7. Cook for 1 minute, then add broth, coconut milk and maple syrup and bring to a simmer.
8. Add meatballs when they are done, including any juices from the baking sheet, simmer for 5 to 8 minutes
9. Add spinach, return to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes
10. Remove from heat and add lime juice
11. Serve with rice

Notes

From the NYT. We do a lot of substitutions, the recipe originally says:

• Instead of the ginger-garlic paste: a 4" piece of peeled fresh ginger, and 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or microplane grated
• Instead of ground chicken, we use ground turkey
• Instead of the thai chilis: 1 jalapeno pepper, also finely chopped or grated
• Instead of 4 cups of chicken broth, just 2 cups
• Instead of maple syrup: 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• Instead of frozen chopped spinach: 5 ounces of baby spinach. We've tried that, as well as "adult" spinach (wilted under boiling water). the frozen tastes the same and is easier though.

(talk) Sara (talk) 16:16, 10 October 2026 (PDT)