I’m reeeeeally into daikon noodles right now. They’re so versatile – they absorb flavors easily and thus, are ideal for noodle soups.
I’m also really into meatballs. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve made turkey, quinoa, lentil, chicken and now pork meatballs.
Call it wedding brain, but I’m into my proteins in a golf ball-like formation.
I’ve been meaning to make a spaghetti and meatball soup, but honestly, spaghetti and meatballs are best left as a pasta dish. I feel like these traditional flavors get lost as a soup – it’s better to have a creamy, smooth tomato sauce than something, well, soupy.
However, switch over to another type of cuisine and set of flavors and we can tackle the “spaghetti and meatball” soup dilemma: as “daikon noodles and pork meatballs.”
Side bar: this is a great trick to add quick flavor to predictable foods. For instance, if you’re making tomato sauce and zucchini noodles with parmesan almost every night, try giving the dish a Mexican flair by using jalapenos in the tomato sauce and cotija cheese instead of parmesan. It’s an easy way to get out of a rut, but still make something familiar.
Guys. Girls. Ladies. Gentlemen. Not only is this one of the most delicious dishes I’ve ever created, it’s almost unbelievably low in calories and carbs. A lot of you have been asking me about my daily diet and well, I eat things like this – pork and noodles – and I lose weight!
You can kiss portion control goodbye with this dish (there’s no need!) The broth is savory, salty, and rich with flavors like sesame, soy and ginger. The scallions, soy sauce and ginger in the meatballs are brought out as they submerge in the soup.
The broccolini is a fun addition to this noodle dish, bringing in color and health benefits such as Vitamin C, potassium (loads of it!) and immune-boosters such as beta-carotene!
Lastly, what’s great about this dish is that you can make the meatballs, pop them in the oven and then start on the soup – once the soup is done, the meatballs are too! The timing on this recipe is built perfectly, so no need to drive yourself crazy, running around the kitchen trying to get everything done before the oven beeps.
These leftovers are sitting in the fridge, and I can’t wait for Lu to come home and test them out!
What do you think of spaghetti and meatball soups?
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Daikon Noodles and Broccolini with Asian Pork Meatballs
Ingredients
- For the meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- 1 teaspoon peeled and minced ginger
- 1/3 cup chopped scallions
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, if you’re gluten free
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 3 teaspoons chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
- For the soup:
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
- 2 bunches broccolini halved (make sure to cut off any rough ends on the stems)
- pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, if you’re gluten free
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili sauce or sriracha
- 3 medium daikon radishes peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place all of the ingredients for the meatballs into a large bowl and mix together. Form 10-12 golf ball sized meatballs with hands and place on the parchment paper. Bake until cooked through, about 18 minutes.
- Once you place the meatballs in the oven to bake, place a large saucepan over medium heat and add in the sesame oil. Once oil heats, add in the ginger, cooking for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add in the broccolini, season with pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes or until it turns bright green. Add in the chicken broth, water, soy sauce, fish sauce and chili sauce. Cover and bring to a boil and then uncover, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes until broccolini is crisp-tender. Then, add in the daikon noodles and cook for 3-5 minutes or until noodles are to your preference (if you like al dente, no more than 3 minutes, if you like softer, go up to 5 minutes.)
- Portion the soup into bowls, top with 3 golf ball sized meatballs. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
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