Lemony Chicken-Feta Meatball Soup With Spinach

Updated Oct. 23, 2024

Lemony Chicken-Feta Meatball Soup With Spinach
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(7,654)
Comments
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Some might be suspicious of the rolled oats called for in this recipe, but used in place of breadcrumbs, they help create a light and tender chicken meatball. A half-cup more is simmered in the broth, which thickens it and provides a pleasant texture. The meatballs, made with ground chicken, feta and fresh dill, swim in a lemony, spinach-filled broth that’s comforting and light, perfect for lunch or dinner. Serve any leftovers with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the soup.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1pound ground chicken or turkey, preferably dark meat
  • ½cup crumbled feta
  • ¾cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1small red onion, halved (½ diced, and ½ grated, then squeezed with a paper towel to remove excess liquid)
  • packed cup fresh dill leaves and fine stems, finely chopped
  • 1tablespoon ground cumin
  • ½teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
  • 4cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
  • 4packed cups baby spinach (about 5 ounces)
  • 2lemons (1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges for serving)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

426 calories; 23 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 1160 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium bowl, add the chicken, feta, ¼ cup oats, the grated onion, most of the dill (reserve about 2 tablespoons for garnish), the cumin, ½ teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt. Gently combine without squeezing too hard or overworking the meat. Lightly wet your palms and shape the meat into small balls, a little smaller than the size of a golf ball, about 1½ inches. (You will have approximately 25 balls.)

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or wide pot over medium until shimmering. Add the diced onion, season with salt, and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon turmeric and the red-pepper flakes, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Push the onions to the sides as best you can, then add the meatballs. (They will be close together, and that’s OK.) Cook until browned on two sides, 5 to 7 minutes total.

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the broth and remaining ½ cup oats, then gently tilt the pot to the right and left to distribute the oats and broth without disturbing the meatballs. Bring to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer. Season with salt. Cook, gently stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, until the oats have softened and the meatballs are cooked through, about 4 minutes more.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the spinach and lemon juice until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Spoon into bowls, top with pepper and the remaining dill. Serve with lemon wedges.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
7,654 user ratings
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Comments

Long time lurkers, first time commenters - be gentle. We love this recipe so much, and wanted to share modifications for other gluttons out there. Use the 1/4 c oats in the meatballs Don't use the oats in the soup, instead substitute with 1 c orzo Increase stock to 6 cups Add thinly sliced celery for extra crunch (cook with the onions!) We tend to up the red pepper and don't add salt at step 3 Enjoy, as the perfect acidity is balanced by the silken coated orzo sliding down your gullet.

I would substitute a different herb, as my wife and I are not dill fans. However, the rest sounds great. And I want to mention how much I love and appreciate the NYTimes cooking community. I love reading your comments and I appreciate all of you out there cooking.

This was really tasty and easy to make. I didn’t do the part where you move the onion over for meatballs, though. Instead I did meatballs for 15 mins in 400 oven on parchment paper then popped them in the broth to finish. Easier I think and worked great (meatballs brown/cook evenly in the oven without breaking up)

I had leftover whole oats (oat groats) cooked up with dried porcini mushrooms and chicken broth in the fridge and some ground turkey so this recipe caught my eye. So instead of using old fashioned dry oats, I subbed in my cooked whole oats (they are plump grains with such a lovely chew to them). This offers a nice twist texture wise in the soup and meatballs both!

Delicious soup! I used commenters' suggestions and baked my meatballs at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes (my meatballs were a little larger than suggested). Made my meatballs as recipe is written, but omitted the oatmeal from the broth. Instead I used 5 cups of broth and 1 cup of orzo. Used 3 ribs celery with the onion. If you aren't a big fan of turmeric, use slightly less than 1 tablespoon in the broth. A slightly heaping 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes was just right for our taste buds.

What could be used instead of the cumin (my husband hates it)? Would love to make this dish but haven't because of this..

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