Yoghurt soup with spiced lamb meatballs recipe
This is a bit of a hybrid, inspired by Iran and Turkey. It’s one of my favourite dishes – each component adds flavour. Be careful not to boil the soup once you add the yoghurt and egg, or it will scramble.
Timings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves
6
Ingredients
For the meatballs
250g minced lamb
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tbsp olive oil, for frying
For the soup
25g butter
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100g basmati rice, rinsed until the water runs clear, then drained
500ml light lamb or chicken stock
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
good handful each of mint, parsley, dill and coriander, chopped (leaves only)
400g natural yoghurt
2 egg yolks
For the spiced butter
15g butter
good pinch of dried cayenne
Method
Using your hands, mix together all the meatball ingredients (except the oil) and season really well, making sure the spices and seasoning are well distributed.
With wet hands, roll the mixture into balls about the size of a fat cherry. Put them on a plate or tray as you make them. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat the butter and olive oil for the soup in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic gently for about 4 minutes. Add a splash of water, cover the pan and sweat the mixture until it is soft but not coloured, about 12 minutes.
Stir in the rice, add the stock and cook until the rice is just tender, about 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and heat through, then remove from the heat and add the herbs (reserving some to serve). Season.
In a bowl, mix the yoghurt with the egg yolks.
You can just poach the lamb meatballs in the soup at this stage but I do like a bit of colour on them, so heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté them in batches. Cook for about 3 minutes to get a good colour all over, then turn the heat down and cook for a further 4 minutes.
Heat the soup again, then add the yoghurt and egg yolk mixture. Stir together and heat through, adding the meatballs, but don’t boil.
Heat the butter in a small frying pan until it is foaming, then add the cayenne. Cook for a minute. Serve the soup in bowls with more herbs and a drizzle of cayenne butter on top.
