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Gordon Ramsay Meatball Soup

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 bowls
Course: Main, Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 455
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs:
  • 1 small onion about 4 oz, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 tsp dried red-pepper flakes to taste
  • 18 oz ground beef 80/20 (1 lb 2 oz)
  • 3 oz fresh white breadcrumbs about 1 1/2 cups
  • 3-4 tbsp whole milk for soaking breadcrumbs
  • 3 Olive oil for frying, divided
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the soup:
  • 1 whole medium onion peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 tsp whole cumin seeds to taste
  • 1/2 to 1 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo minced (or 1 tbsp chipotle paste)
  • 1 (14-oz) can chopped tomatoes to taste
  • 1 tsp dried oregano to taste
  • 4 cups beef or chicken stock homemade or store-bought
  • 1 (12-oz) can sweetcorn (about 1 1/2 cups) drained
  • 2 small zucchini about 12 oz total, trimmed and diced into 3/4-inch pieces
To serve:
  • 1 large handful tortilla chips about 2 oz, roughly crushed
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro to taste
  • 2 whole jalapeño peppers deseeded and chopped (about 2 tbsp)

Equipment

  • Large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven
  • Large skillet
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Parchment-lined baking tray

Method
 

  1. Sauté the meatball aromatics: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the finely diced onion and sliced garlic from the meatball list with 1/2 tsp salt, cook 4 to 5 minutes until soft and sweet, and stir in the red-pepper flakes for the last minute. Tip into a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes — warm onions start cooking the meat and ruin the texture.
  2. Soak the breadcrumbs: While the onions cool, put the breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour over the milk. Let them sit 2 to 3 minutes until fully absorbed and mushy — this milk-soak, the panade, is what keeps every meatball soft instead of dense.
  3. Mix and roll the meatballs: Add the ground beef to the bowl with the cooled onion mixture and the soaked breadcrumbs. Season generously with 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix with your hands just until combined — overworking makes dense meatballs. With wet hands, roll into balls just smaller than a golf ball (about 1 1/4 inches; makes roughly 24). Arrange on a parchment-lined tray and chill for 30 minutes until firm.
  4. Brown with the cumin: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (a Dutch oven is ideal) over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sliced garlic for the soup and cook 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the cumin seeds and the meatballs together, then cook over high heat, turning the meatballs, for 6 to 8 minutes — the cumin toasts in the rendered beef fat and the meatballs color on all sides.
  5. Build the broth: Stir in the minced chipotles in adobo and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, oregano and stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, season with salt and pepper, and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the soup has thickened slightly.
  6. Add the vegetables: Stir in the sweetcorn and diced zucchini and cook 3 to 4 minutes until just tender. They need no longer — any earlier and they go mushy and flavorless.
  7. Serve: Ladle into warm bowls. Top with the crushed tortilla chips, chopped cilantro and jalapeño peppers, and serve immediately while the chips are still crunchy.