Classic Porcupine Soup with Rice-Studded Meatballs
A hearty, comforting soup featuring beef meatballs studded with rice that resembles porcupine quills when cooked. This traditional recipe combines tender meatballs with a flavorful tomato-infused broth and vegetables for a complete, satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio
- ½ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 small onion finely diced (plus 1 additional onion, diced for soup base)
- 2 cloves garlic minced (plus 2 additional cloves, minced for soup base)
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs parsley, thyme, and oregano mix
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, uncooked rice, 1 diced onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, beaten egg, salt, pepper, and dried herbs.
- Mix gently with hands until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Form mixture into meatballs about 1½ inches in diameter (approximately 20-24 meatballs).
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
- Working in batches, brown meatballs on all sides (about 2-3 minutes per batch). Transfer browned meatballs to a plate.
- In the same pot, add the remaining diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes to develop flavor.
- Pour in beef broth and diced tomatoes with juice. Add bay leaf and paprika.
- Bring mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Return browned meatballs to the pot.
- Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until rice in meatballs is fully cooked and meatballs are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove bay leaf before serving.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- For extra flavor, toast the rice in a dry skillet before adding it to the meatball mixture.
- The soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- If the soup thickens too much during storage, add additional broth when reheating.
- For a leaner version, substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef.
- Brown rice can be used instead of white rice, but may require partially cooking it beforehand.