Guptis Soupi (Georgian Meatball Soup)

And by Georgian, I mean from the Republic of Georgia, not down home peaches and Falcons Georgia. There is a lot of leeway in this recipe. You can add dried/fresh basil/parsley to the meatball mix. You can add a little bit of fresh garlic to the meatball mix. You can basically add anything you want to the meatball mix. The tomato in the broth/water is optional as well. It's hard to go wrong here.

Meatballs:

1 cup cooked rice (maybe a little al dente)

3/4 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Wet hands with cold water Shape into walnut-sized or slightly larger meatballs.

The Soup:

~ 5-6 cups of water or any stock

~ 14 oz of crushed tomatoes or 1 tbsp tomato paste

If using water, 1/2 tsp salt

Boil 5-6 cups of water (or stock, or any combinati

on of the two) in pot such that it is full 2/3 of liquid. Add tomato, if desired. Season water with 1/2 tsp salt (no salt needed for broth). Bring to a rolling boil and drop in a few meatballs at a time, letting the water return to a boil between adding meatballs. Turn down heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add chopped fresh parsley and serve. Or better yet, refrigerate overnight, reheat on the stove, and then serve.