Tomato Soup WITH MINIATURE LAMB MEATBALLS AND YOGURT

A soup made with fresh yellow or red tomatoes, fresh turmeric and coconut milk flavoured with Middle Eastern sumac and Indian garam masala, served with mini lamb meatballs made with lamb mince and orange and lemon zest. Garnish with plain yogurt and fresh mint.

Click here for the downloadable recipe.


INGREDIENTS

Lamb

500 g Lamb mince

½ cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated

½ cup Breadcrumbs, fresh

1 Egg

2 tablespoons Parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Ground cumin

1 teaspoon Zaatar / lemon pepper

1 teaspoon Orange zest

1 teaspoon Lemon zest

1 clove Garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Freshly ground pepper

1 tablspoon Olive oil

Soup

¼ cup Olive oil

2 medium Carrots, diced

1 stalk Celery, diced

1 medium Onion, diced

3 Spring onions, finely sliced

2 teaspoons Fresh ginger, finely grated

1 teaspoon Fresh turmeric, finely grated

1 tablespoon Garam masala

1 kg Fresh tomatoes, skins removed and pureed

1 tin Coconut milk

1 teaspoon Salt

½ cup Plain yogurt

¼ cupFresh mint leaves, chiffonade (garnish)

1 tablespoon Sumac (garnish)

  

METHOD

Prepare the lamb:

Make the miniature meatballs by mixing the lamb mince, pecorino, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, cumin, zaatar, orange and lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

Using a small scoop or baller make small meatballs about 2 cm in size.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the meatballs until lightly browned. Cover and place on the side until the soup is ready.

Prepare the soup:

Using a medium sized saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onions. Sauté until soft but not brown. Add the spring onion, ginger, turmeric and garam masala. Cook until blended but not browned.

Add the tomato puree and coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and blend in batches until the soup is smooth.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Dish the soup up in bowls and top each with a dollop of yogurt, 4-5 meatballs, mint and a sprinkling of sumac.

Serve with some middle eastern flatbread.