Wonton-Less Soup

With meatballs and a good broth, a simple and delicious soup is steps away from perfection. This recipe brings together ingredients of my favorite Thai wonton soup in a gluten-free and Paleo fashion. ​

Taking the extra time to make your own broth ensures that this dish packs the most flavor and nutrients. Broth is easy to make once you get the hang of it. To make broth-making an easy integration into my busy schedule, I keep two bags in my freezer: one for chicken bones and scraps and the other for the ends of veggies (onions, leeks, carrots, celery, parsley, etc.). When the bags are full, I pull out my gigantic stock pot, cover the contents of my "bit bags" with filtered water, toss in extra nutrition (dried mushrooms, kombu and spices) and set the bits to simmer for 12+ hours. Follow this link for a Bone Broth recipe. 

For this recipe, you will need:

• Ginger Lemongrass Broth (recipe below)
• Shrimp + Pork Meatballs (recipe below)
• Kelp noodles (prepared as directed)
• Spinach or other tender cooking green
• Spicy toasted sesame oil 
• Other condiments of your choosing (fish sauce, tamari, toasted sesame oil, sriracha, kimchi, etc.)

Cilantro-Ginger Broth

This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled for the freezer. Plan ahead and leave out the Mediterranean spices (bay, basil, etc.) of a broth recipe, swapping cilantro and ginger in instead. 

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. chicken bits - I recommend a combination of backs, necks, hearts and feet
• 1 yellow onion, halved
• 3 stalks of lemongrass
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 2-3 inches fresh ginger root, sliced thinly
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 4 quarts of filtered water
• 8 whole peppercorns

Directions

1. Place the ingredients in a large soup pot, cover and bring to a slow simmer. Keep covered and simmer for several hours or over night. Do not boil. This can be done days in advance and freezes well (so make a double...or triple batch!). 
2. Store in an airtight container and bring to a simmer to prepare a serving of this soup.

Shrimp + Pork Meatballs

​These meatballs can be easily frozen for a quick weeknight meal. 

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasture-raised ground pork
• 1 lb wild caught shrimp
• 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce

Directions

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. 
3. Scoop 2 Tbsp of the mixture into your hand and form into balls. Lay the meatballs out on the cookie sheet. 

Assembling Wonton-less Soup

For each person, serve:

• 2 cups broth
• 3-4 meatballs
• serving of kelp noodles
• a generous handful of greens

Place condiments on the table for everyone to customize their dish to their individual tastes. 

Make this recipe and post a pic! Tag @jessehaasnutrition on Facebook or Instagram.