Eintopf German soup with chickpeas and meat balls

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 30 mins

1. STEP 1

   

   How to cook eintopf, a German soup with chickpeas and meat balls? Prepare all the necessary products. Wash the tomatoes, bell peppers and herbs. Wash and peel the onions, carrots and garlic as well. Drain liquid from canned chickpeas.

2. STEP 2

   

   Grate the carrots on a fairly coarse grater, or cut into thin strips. Cut the onion and pepper into half rings.

3. STEP 3

   

   Heat vegetable oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan, add chopped vegetables and fry, stirring constantly, until cooked. This takes about 5 minutes. The article on saucepans, link at the end of the recipe, will help you choose the ideal pan.

4. STEP 4

   

   Add mashed tomatoes or tomato puree and a pinch of sugar to the frying. Mix everything thoroughly, reduce the heat to low and simmer for a couple of minutes.

5. STEP 5

   

   Prepare the mince for the meat balls. To do this, add an egg, a clove of garlic passed through a press, and a finely chopped onion to the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a spoonful of breadcrumbs. You can also add your favorite seasonings. Knead everything well until smooth. If the minced meat is runny, add a little more breadcrumbs. The consistency of the minced meat should be such that it can be formed into small balls.

6. STEP 6

   

   Chop the tomatoes fairly large. You can optionally remove the skins from the tomatoes in advance. To do this, make cross cuts on the tomatoes with a sharp knife. Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then remove, cool slightly and remove the skin.

7. STEP 7

   

   Form small meat balls from the minced meat. Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the balls on all sides for about 2-3 minutes. Read about how to choose the ideal frying pan, as well as how to choose the right vegetable oil, in separate articles, links at the end of the recipe.

8. STEP 8

   

   Add tomatoes, chickpeas and meat balls to the frying pan. Pour hot broth over everything. You can use any broth: chicken, meat or vegetable. You can even get by with regular boiling water. The amount of broth can be reduced or increased as desired, depending on whether you want the soup to be thicker or not. Add salt to taste. Bring everything to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 10-15 minutes.

9. STEP 9

   

   Turn the heat back up to maximum. Finely chop the remaining clove of garlic. Place finely chopped herbs, garlic and bay leaf into the pan. After boiling, remove the pan from the heat and let the soup brew under a closed lid for at least 15 minutes. You can serve eintopf with sour cream.

Comments on the recipe

tania•oxe

27.12.2023

4.6

The soup is amazing, thank you. I’m sharing another version of chickpea and beef soup.

Moderator Ksenia

27.12.2023

4.6

I liked the recipe for eintopf - German soup with chickpeas and meat balls, first of all because of its interesting name. In addition, I just had some chickpeas left and needed to use them for something. I boiled the Eintopf in water. Instead of canned chickpeas I used regular dry ones. I simmered it for 30 minutes before adding it to the soup. I made meat balls from mixed minced meat (beef and pork). The soup turned out surprisingly tasty. Despite the fact that I cooked it in water, the taste of the soup is very rich and rich. In addition, it is very fragrant. The Eintopf turned out thick and very bright and beautiful. Zhemchuzhina, thank you very much for the wonderful recipe!