Meat and Poultry Soups

Cauliflower Soup with Tiny Meatballs & Oregano

This is very simple everyday soup, it took me no more than 20 minutes to make it. This time I used all organic ingredients as well as grass-fed ground beef. Healthy food for an after-school meal. My kids loved it!

Fresh oregano

OREGANO from The Spice Cookbook, 1964

Oregano is native to the hillsides of the Mediterranean region and is a perennial of the mint family. The name origanum, derived from the Greek ours, meaning mountain, and ganus, meaning joy, thus signified “joy of the mountain” to the Greeks 2000 years ago. It grew easily then, as it still does in Greece, Italy, and Spain.

In ancient times oregano was valued as much for its medicinal qualities as its savory flavor. The Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, prescribed it as a cure for indigestion and first aid for spider and scorpion stings. In the Medieval Ages, physicians used a mixture of oregano and other herbs to “cleanse the brain” and improve sight. While Culpeper thought highly of oregano as a digestive, soothing to jittery nerves, and as a treatment for “the bites of venomous beasts,” he was in accord with modern cooks when he wrote, “There is scarcely a better herb growing for relieving loss of appetite.”

Fresh oregano

Cauliflower Soup with Tiny Meatballs & Oregano

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Ingredients

  • For the meatballs:
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
  • small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small parsnip, coarsely chopped 
  • 1/2 cup oat bran + 1/2 cup hot water, mix together and let it stand for 10 minutes
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • For the soup:
  • 1/2 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • fresh oregano
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 5-6 cups vegetable stock or water
  • toasted pita bread for serving

Instructions

1

Prepare the meatballs mixture: Using a food processor chop the onion, carrot, and parsnip. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, oat bran, chopped vegetables, salt, and the pepper. Mix gently with your hands. Set aside.

2

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the carrot, celery, and cook, stirring occasionally 3 minutes. Add the broth or water, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Add the meatballs (if you like to make the tiny ones, just scoop the ground beef mixture, using a teaspoon, to the soup), and stir gently. Boil lightly for 5-10 minutes.

3

Add the cauliflower, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork, about 5 more minutes. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and serve with toasted pita bread and fresh oregano.

Cauliflower Soup with Tiny Meatballs & Oregano

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8 Comments

  • Reply
    Rosa's Yummy Yums
    September 12, 2014 at 7:03 am

    A scrumptious soup! Very original.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  • Reply
    Medeja
    September 12, 2014 at 8:24 am

    Looks very flavorful.. I think for me such soup would be like a main meal 🙂

  • Reply
    Marcela
    September 12, 2014 at 8:30 am

    oh! i love these tiny meatballs inside!

  • Reply
    HEAVEN CAN WAIT
    September 12, 2014 at 12:46 pm

    Very nice recipe, Yelena. I will definitely try this!

    Greetings! – Dominique

  • Reply
    La Table De Nana
    September 12, 2014 at 12:55 pm

    We were at Jean talon market yesterday..The produce was gorgeous..
    Rows and rows of multi colored cauliflower..and the romanesco too..
    How delicious this sounds Yelena..

  • Reply
    Meli
    September 12, 2014 at 4:54 pm

    Hi, Yelena, greetings from Greece – the sunny home of origano and so many other tasty ingredients! I spend the last days of summer here but will be home in some days. Greek sprinkle a lot of origano on top of their most favorite Greek salad and I love it. Good, the season for eating a lot of cauliflowers is back again.

  • Reply
    melangery
    September 12, 2014 at 4:59 pm

    Ooo, How wonderful, Meli! I never been in Greece, it was always a dream of mine. One day I'll take my family there for summer. I am so happy for you!!

  • Reply
    Rebecca Subbiah
    September 14, 2014 at 7:15 pm

    looks so good lucky family having you as a cook

  • Leave a Reply

    Cooking Melangery