Turn simple chicken broth into a full meal with the addition of white rice and easy meatballs.

They add a pleasant contrasting texture to the otherwise soft and smooth elements in the soup. If you are using store-bought broth, add 1 small onion, 1 clove of garlic, and 1 bay leaf along with the spices and let it simmer for about 10 additional minutes to infuse; discard aromatics, then continue with recipe.

Freshly cooked or leftover rice typically joins the pot. The type you use is relatively open to personal preference—any short or medium grain variety like Calrose, paella, sushi, or jasmine would be a great choice. Since basmati, a long grain rice, doesn’t absorb flavor and has a soft texture, though it’s best avoided here.
If you are using store-bought broth, add 1 small onion, 1 clove of garlic, and 1 bay leaf along with the spices and let it simmer for about 10 additional minutes to infuse; discard aromatics, then continue with recipe.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The finished soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat gently before serving.

The ingredients in this recipe are incredibly simple, so the flavor of the dish really rests on the quality of the broth. There are no restrictions on the type (anything from chicken, beef, lamb, or a combination will work), but homemade is always preferred (if using store-bought broth, I like to doctor it by briefly simmering it with additional aromatics).

I personally like to make the dish with chicken broth because I find it the most delicate, which complements the simplicity of the remaining ingredients well. Most often, I make my broth with the leftover carcass of a roast chicken, using onion, bay leaf, garlic, and carrot as aromatics, and whole peppercorns, allspice, coriander, and cinnamon for spice. Sometimes I’ll add some whole cloves or cardamom as well. If making the broth from raw chicken pieces, I recommend parboiling them for a few minutes before transferring to a clean pot and adding fresh water and aromatics—this will yield a clearer broth, both in visual appearance and in terms of flavor.

Using clean, lightly oiled hands, roll meatball mixture into grape-size balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet (you should have about 30 meatballs).
30 small meatballs on a wire rack on top of a parchment-lined baking sheet
Bake meatballs just until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
30 small meatballs on a baking sheet after being baked
For the Soup: In a 3-quart saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil along with cinnamon, allspice, and black pepper, then lower heat to hold a simmer. Taste the broth, then season with salt to your liking. (If using store-bought broth, follow additional instructions in note.)
Add the rice and the meatballs to broth and simmer just until the rice has softened slightly and the flavours have a chance to meld, 5 to 10 minutes.
To serve, place several meatballs in each bowl, then ladle the rice and broth on top. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Ingredients
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For the Meatballs:
1/2 pound (225g) finely minced ground meat (beef, lamb, or a combination)
1 tablespoon (15ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Soup:
1 1/2 quarts (1.5L) homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 loosely packed cup (about 6 ounces; 170g) cooked plain medium- or short-grain white rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

If you are using store-bought broth, add 1 small onion, 1 clove of garlic, and 1 bay leaf along with the spices and let it simmer for about 10 additional minutes to infuse; discard aromatics, then continue with recipe.

Directions
For the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, combine ground meat with olive oil, salt, black pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Using a clean hand, knead until very well combined and meatball mixture feels slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.

White rice transforms a simple broth into a more filling meal.
The simple flavor of plain rice allows the spices in the broth and meatballs to stand out.
Fresh parsley serves as more than garnish, adding brightness to the dish.
The name of this soup in Arabic translates to “Holiday Soup,” since it’s most often made around Christmas or Easter. Thanks to its nutritional value, it’s also made for women who have just given birth or for those suffering from a cold—think of it as the Arab version of chicken noodle soup. The traditional holiday recipe often features kubbeh, which are dumplings made of bulgur and ground meat, stuffed with a filling of ground meat sautéed with onions and spices, and pine nuts. For everyday eating, however, baked meatballs are the only star. Unlike the traditional large, fluffy meatballs one might think of when hearing the word, these are minuscule—no larger than a marble—and chewy, with the only add-ins being a few spices for flavor.

Shape. Don’t be gentle when shaping these meatballs. Unlike giant, super tender, fall apart meatballs you get in tomato sauce, the key to the roundness of Swedish meatballs is the fact that they’re compacted enough to be firm on the outside and tender on the inside. Use a cookie scoop to help you portion out the right amount, then roll the balls between the palms of your hand and toss the them back and forth so they come out perfectly round.
Use non-stick. Using a non-stick pan helps keep your meatballs nice and round. Non-stick gives you the freedom to shake and roll the meatballs while they’re still raw, before they form a crust. If you use a regular stick pan, you’ll have to brown the meatballs before they release and by the time they’re ready, they’ll have slumped down due to heat and gravity and be vaguely lopsided.
Fry in butter. Frying in butter gives you SO MUCH FLAVOR, it’s insane. I don’t typically fry things in just butter because it has the tendency to get too hot and scorch, but it’s they way they do it in Sweden and trust me when I say, it makes so much sense.

Everyone knows about Swedish meatballs from Ikea – Ikea meatballs are pretty famous. I mean, Mike and I used to go to Ikea just to eat the meatballs. And I admit, I’ve bought a frozen bag or three before. But now that I have this Swedish meatball recipe in my back pocket, no more! Homemade Swedish meatballs for the win!

Are Swedish meatballs Swedish?
Yes! Swedish meatballs are definitely Swedish and they’re eaten on the regular over in Sweden, both as an everyday meal and sometimes as a special one on holidays such as Christmas.

Swedish meatballs are super savory and full of deliciousness. They’re crisp on the outside with a buttery-meaty crust and tender and soft on the inside. When you bite into them, the juices flood your mouth with flavor and everything is right with the world.

By the way, I’m pretty sure the secret to why Swedish meatballs are so good is the fact that they’re fried in butter. Mike and I watched hours of youtube cooking videos – in Swedish, with subtitles! – and all of them stressed the importance of frying your meatballs in butter, in a non-stick pan (more on that later), as well as shaping the meatballs aggressively.

Moroccan lamb meatballs in tomato sauce with an egg is one of the best foods on the planet. You can’t beat how pretty this dish is and it tastes like a million dollars. It’s a great kinda-special weeknight dinner if you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path — although, this is actually one of Morocco’s most famous dishes.

We have a rotating ‘family dinner’ thing among a small group of friends where each person takes on making a dinner for the group and we all just hang and chill. It’s like a dinner party but everyone involved needs to take a turn, which solves the usual dinner party problem of the best cook in the group taking on all the dinners. It’s a great way to bump up your cooking skills and cook for a larger table than you might normally be comfortable with. I think we’ve all turned into better cooks because of it. This week was my turn and with our local Moroccan place closed due to world events and all that, I thought it was high time to make these.
These easy spiced lamb meatballs can brighten up anyone’s day.

For the tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 14oz cans of tomatoes see note
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
For the meatballs
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tbsp coriander seed, crushed see note
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
1. Make the tomato sauce: Add the olive oil and onion to a big deep saute pan or pot over medium heat and cook until the onions are translucent and golden (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring often so the garlic doesn’t burn.

2. Add the tomato sauce, herbs, and spices and reduce the heat down to low. Season with salt and pepper, then keep on the barest simmer while you make the meatballs. The sauce should simmer for at least half an hour.

3. Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs together. Season with salt and pepper, then mix really well. Form one sample meatball about an inch wide and drop it into the tomato sauce for 8 minutes.

4. Cut the sample meatball in half to ensure it’s fully cooked, then taste for seasoning. If the seasoning is good, form the rest of the meatballs.

5. Drop the meatballs into the sauce in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan. Add water if the sauce has reduced too much to cover the meatballs.

6. Serve immediately, topped with poached eggs (you can poach the egg directly in the tomato sauce) and chopped herbs.

For the tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 14oz cans of tomatoes see note
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
For the meatballs
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tbsp coriander seed, crushed see note
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
1. Make the tomato sauce: Add the olive oil and onion to a big deep saute pan or pot over medium heat and cook until the onions are translucent and golden (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring often so the garlic doesn’t burn.

2. Add the tomato sauce, herbs, and spices and reduce the heat down to low. Season with salt and pepper, then keep on the barest simmer while you make the meatballs. The sauce should simmer for at least half an hour.

3. Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs together. Season with salt and pepper, then mix really well. Form one sample meatball about an inch wide and drop it into the tomato sauce for 8 minutes.

4. Cut the sample meatball in half to ensure it’s fully cooked, then taste for seasoning. If the seasoning is good, form the rest of the meatballs.

5. Drop the meatballs into the sauce in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan. Add water if the sauce has reduced too much to cover the meatballs.

6. Serve immediately, topped with poached eggs (you can poach the egg directly in the tomato sauce) and chopped herbs.

Moroccan lamb meatballs in tomato sauce with an egg is one of the best foods on the planet. You can’t beat how pretty this dish is and it tastes like a million dollars. It’s a great kinda-special weeknight dinner if you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path — although, this is actually one of Morocco’s most famous dishes.

We have a rotating ‘family dinner’ thing among a small group of friends where each person takes on making a dinner for the group and we all just hang and chill. It’s like a dinner party but everyone involved needs to take a turn, which solves the usual dinner party problem of the best cook in the group taking on all the dinners. It’s a great way to bump up your cooking skills and cook for a larger table than you might normally be comfortable with. I think we’ve all turned into better cooks because of it. This week was my turn and with our local Moroccan place closed due to world events and all that, I thought it was high time to make these.
These easy spiced lamb meatballs can brighten up anyone’s day.

Everyone knows about Swedish meatballs from Ikea – Ikea meatballs are pretty famous. I mean, Mike and I used to go to Ikea just to eat the meatballs. And I admit, I’ve bought a frozen bag or three before. But now that I have this Swedish meatball recipe in my back pocket, no more! Homemade Swedish meatballs for the win!

Are Swedish meatballs Swedish?
Yes! Swedish meatballs are definitely Swedish and they’re eaten on the regular over in Sweden, both as an everyday meal and sometimes as a special one on holidays such as Christmas.

Swedish meatballs are super savory and full of deliciousness. They’re crisp on the outside with a buttery-meaty crust and tender and soft on the inside. When you bite into them, the juices flood your mouth with flavor and everything is right with the world.

By the way, I’m pretty sure the secret to why Swedish meatballs are so good is the fact that they’re fried in butter. Mike and I watched hours of youtube cooking videos – in Swedish, with subtitles! – and all of them stressed the importance of frying your meatballs in butter, in a non-stick pan (more on that later), as well as shaping the meatballs aggressively.

Shape. Don’t be gentle when shaping these meatballs. Unlike giant, super tender, fall apart meatballs you get in tomato sauce, the key to the roundness of Swedish meatballs is the fact that they’re compacted enough to be firm on the outside and tender on the inside. Use a cookie scoop to help you portion out the right amount, then roll the balls between the palms of your hand and toss the them back and forth so they come out perfectly round.
Use non-stick. Using a non-stick pan helps keep your meatballs nice and round. Non-stick gives you the freedom to shake and roll the meatballs while they’re still raw, before they form a crust. If you use a regular stick pan, you’ll have to brown the meatballs before they release and by the time they’re ready, they’ll have slumped down due to heat and gravity and be vaguely lopsided.
Fry in butter. Frying in butter gives you SO MUCH FLAVOR, it’s insane. I don’t typically fry things in just butter because it has the tendency to get too hot and scorch, but it’s they way they do it in Sweden and trust me when I say, it makes so much sense.