Soba in Chicken Meatball Soup 鶏たんごそば

鶏たんごそば (Soba in Chicken Meatball Soup)

This recipe makes enough for two. You shouldn't need to add anything to the water you cook the meatballs in. It becomes a light but flavorful broth after you add salt. I actually forgot the salt a first and added a dash of soy sauce.

200g soba noodles
150g ground chicken
dash of pepper
2 tablespoons cooking sake
1 tablespoon soy sauce
15g bread crumbs (I used two tablespoons)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 bunch of spinach or other leafy green vegetable for topping
salt to taste

Mix the chicken,pepper, sake, soy sauce, bread crumbs and sesame oil in a boil.
Bring four cups of water to a boil over medium heat. Using a tablespoon, make meatballs and drop them into the boiling water. Simmer for ten minutes. Add salt to taste. Blanche the spinach by dipping it in the broth for a couple seconds until wilted. Chop into bite sized pieces.

Boil water and cook soba noodles as per package directions. Place noodles in a bowl and add meatballs and their broth. Top with spinach.

From the magazine オレンジページCooking - 冬レシピ2009　(Orange Page Cooking - Winter Recipes 2009). Originally published in Japanese.

This was really, really good. I made enough meatballs and broth for a second meal for one. I can't wait to eat it again.