Chicken Miso Meatball Noodle Soup

and a heartfelt thank you

Dec 13, 2022

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I’ve been making today’s recipe on repeat since the first chilly day in September. Tiny miso-spiked meatballs make this brain-healthy take on chicken noodle soup both comforting and irresistible. While this recipe is part of the paid subscription, I am sharing this and more throughout December with all subscribers for my Substack launch. On Friday look for my guide to brain-healthy gifting with a robust list of discount codes. I wrote it for shopping procrastinators (like me!) but maybe you’ll find something there to treat yourself.

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A nostalgic noodle soup with brain-healthy additions

Rolling food into little balls must be part of my DNA. Meatballs were a staple food back in the day when my grandmother had many mouths to feed in rural Sicily. Like all nonnas, she made a version of Italian wedding soup—vegetables and bite-sized meatballs in a rich chicken broth. The Italians call it minestra maritata, or married soup, which has nothing to do with weddings. Maritata refers to the marrying of ingredients like vegetable scraps, leafy greens, and inexpensive cuts of meat. It’s a good example of how my grandmother’s generation made the most of a limited grocery budget, with delicious results. As a kid, I recall playing around to see how many meatballs would fit on my spoon and getting chastised for ignoring the ribbons of spinach.

This soup leans more towards Asian-inspired flavors than Italian ones, and I’ve streamlined the method to make it come together quickly. Plus, there are many brain-boosting touches. Miso paste is one of my favorite brain-healthy fermented foods. While not cheap, a small amount goes a long way to amp up the flavor of many foods. Miso provides fiber and microbes that help the gut microbiota residing in the large intestine thrive which, in turn, support brain health. When added to lean ground chicken, it’s a stealth ingredient that’s low in saturated fat yet bursting with sweet and salty umami flavors.

Sized to fit nicely into a soup spoon, the tiny meatballs also give a sense of abundance while keeping the portion size in line with the MIND diet guidelines for consuming poultry (up to 3 ounces per serving).

Enjoy chicken, within MIND diet guidelines

Chicken is one of the ten brain-healthy food groups in the MIND diet study, one of the most successful dietary patterns proven to fend off age-related cognitive decline. The MIND diet allows two or more servings of poultry (such as chicken and turkey) each week, as long as it’s not fried. In addition to eating poultry infrequently and limiting portion sizes, keep these 3 things in mind:

Choose cuts that are lower in fat. Since much of the saturated fat from chicken comes from the skin, remove it before cooking or choose skinless thighs and breasts. For meatballs and burgers, use ground chicken or turkey that is 97% or more lean.
Opt out of factory farmed poultry. Look for organic poultry that has been pastured and displays the Certified Humane or Animal Welfare Approved seal. Expect to pay more for birds from farms with high ethical standards.
Cook low and slow. High-heat methods, like frying and grilling directly over a hot grill, oxidize the fat and create inflammatory particles. Instead, use low heat and slow-cook methods like braising, stewing, baking, and grilling over indirect heat.

Tips:

Use brown or forbidden rice noodles instead of plain ones. Or, omit the noodles and add 2 cups of zucchini noodles instead.

If you want to save some of the soup for later, add cooked rice noodles just before serving.

Make the meatballs gluten-free by using almond flour instead of bread crumbs.

Reinvent the chicken miso meatballs as an appetizer. Serve with toothpicks and a simple dipping sauce: 2 parts low-sodium soy sauce, 1 part white vinegar, sliced scallions, and red pepper flakes.

Recipe: Chicken Miso Meatball Noodle Soup

Serves 4

For the meatballs
1 pound lean ground chicken
1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs or almond flour
1 large bunch scallions, white and tender green parts finely chopped, dark green parts reserved for garnish
2 tablespoons white miso paste
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger

Soup and assembly
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces rice noodles
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)

Hot sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF with a rack set in the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Place the chicken, bread crumbs, scallions, miso paste, egg, garlic, and ginger in a medium bowl. Use your hands to gently combine, then roll and shape mixture into 1-inch balls, placing on the baking sheet as you work. You should have 25 to 30 meatballs. Bake until springy to the touch and starting to brown, or an instant-read thermometer placed in the center of a meatball reads 165ºF, 15 to 20 minutes.

In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Add the broccolini and cook over medium heat until just starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and move the pot away from the burner. Stir in the meatballs and the noodles, cover, and let sit until the noodles are limp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved scallion greens, soy sauce, and sesame oil (if using).

Serve with hot sauce on the side, if you like.