Traditional meatballs in broth, grandma’s recipe for a delicious and light meat main course. Gently cooked in vegetable broth or meat broth, they should be eaten well hot and are ideal on the cooler days of the year. The soft meatballs in broth are a strengthening and nourishing dish, perfect even when the flu hits and you need warm, comforting food like small pasta in broth with butter and Parmesan. The meatballs in broth always please everyone, young and old, and have the advantage of being made ahead of time and reheated shortly before serving.
If you love meatballs in all their variations, on my blog you’ll also find a top list with the best meatball recipes, perfect for any occasion.
They’re very easy to make: simply mix together the ground meat, stale bread soaked in liquid, eggs, grated cheese and a bit of parsley. Once you have a homogeneous mixture, form small balls the size of hazelnuts or slightly larger and drop them into boiling broth to cook gently. Cooked this way, the meatballs in broth are soft and flavorful, while the hot broth makes them even tastier. If you enjoy broth recipes and comfort food, you can also try small pasta in broth with meatballs on my blog.
Ready to discover the meatballs in broth recipe? Let’s go to the kitchen, but first I remind you that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes, you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
👉 Go to the ingredients
Also look at:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make meatballs in broth
- 10.5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/3 lbs ground veal
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup stale bread
- as needed milk
- 2 oz grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano)
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed parsley
Tools
- Pot
- Bowl
Steps to make meatballs in broth
To make the meatballs in broth, place the bread in a bowl, pour the milk over it until it is covered and let it rehydrate well before breaking it up and squeezing out the liquid. You can use water or milk, but the meatballs will be tastier with milk.
Put the ground meat in a bowl and add the soaked stale bread (soaked at least 20 minutes beforehand), squeezed and torn. Add the grated cheese, the eggs, the chopped parsley and a pinch of salt.
Mix everything with your hands until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Take portions of the mixture and, rolling them between your hands, shape small meatballs the size of hazelnuts or slightly larger. Bring the broth to a boil and drop the meatballs in. Don’t worry about the foam that will form during the first stages of cooking; the broth will become clearer as it cooks and you can strain it at the end. Cook the soft meatballs in broth for 30 minutes.
Once cooked, the meatballs are ready to be served and enjoyed.
This meatballs-in-broth recipe is simple, wholesome and perfect for the whole family. A timeless dish that smells like home.
Once cooked, the meatballs are ready to be served and enjoyed.
This meatballs-in-broth recipe is simple, wholesome and perfect for the whole family. A timeless dish that smells like home.
Grandma’s tips:
The meatballs should be small to stay soft.
The broth should not boil vigorously, but simmer gently.
Use well-soaked and well-squeezed stale bread.
You can prepare them in advance and reheat them when needed.
The meatballs in broth keep in the fridge for 24 hours if stored in an airtight container and should be reheated before eating.
From here, you can return to the HOME and discover new recipes!
