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Winter Squash-Tofu Meatball Soup

This cozy, brothy soup is a culmination of pairing leftover tofu meatballs with some simple roasted red kuri squash. Prepping the meatballs and squash ahead of time makes quick work and really is a base for adding more flavors such as different herbs/spices, chile, or a different broth base.
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Meatballs

Roasted Squash

  • 1 medium thin-skinned winter squash such as red kuri, kabocha, or delicata
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Soup

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion finely diced
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt see note
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo (see note)
  • 8 cups vegetable broth (or a ratio of vegetable bouillon and water to equal the same amount, dependent on package recommendation)

For serving

  • ¼ cup minced fresh dill
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • Juice from 1 to 2 lemons
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Instructions

  • Prep meatballs and squash: Make and cook the meatball recipe if you haven’t done so already. For the squash, cut off the stem and bottom of the squash, cut in half and scoop out seeds, cut into 1” thick wedges. Place on a sheet tray and toss with olive oil and kosher salt. Arrange so a cut-side is down against the tray for each wedge.
  • Roast at 425˚F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the wedges, and return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. Squash should be tender but not falling apart and have a good browning color.
  • To make the soup: Heat a large pot over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add in the diced onion and salt, stirring to coat the onions in oil. Cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until the onions are just starting turning golden and softening. Stir in the orzo and 8 cups of the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the orzo is just al dente, 6 minutes or so.
  • Once the orzo is mostly cooked, stir in the cooked meatballs and roasted squash. Let simmer for another few minutes until the orzo tender and the meatballs/squash are hot. Now is a great time to add more vegetable broth and taste to adjust salt if needed.
  • To Finish: Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the dill, lemon zest, and juice from one lemon. Taste and add more dill or lemon juice if desired. You can also serve with extra dill and wedges of lemon on the side so each person can adjust as desired.

Video

Notes

Salt: I keep the salt levels quite low for a recipe that serves four. I do this because broth can vary widely in sodium levels between homemade, store bought, or bouillon. I recommend waiting towards the end until you taste and add more salt.
Squash Prep: This recipe originally started as a meal that I could make from batched-cooked squash. If you don’t have squash precooked, you can always cook the squash in the soup. I recommend searing the squash in a bit of oil, removing to cook the onions, then adding back in when you add the broth. Depending on the size, this may add a bit of extra time to the soup cooking time.
Squash Skins: When cooking a meal that I don’t feel like dealing with peeling or removing the squash skin, I reach for red kuri, delicata, or kabocha squash. However, if you have more patience than me, butternut squash or pumpkin would also work. Acorn or spaghetti works a little less so as they aren’t quite the same texture I’m looking for in this recipe.
Squash Substitutes: Squash not your vibe? Carrots, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, or even root vegetables such as celeriac, parsnip, or rutabaga would work as well.
Orzo substitutes: I chose orzo for this recipe primarily for quick cooking but the recipe is forgiving and I can easily recommend swapping to grains whether whole, pearled, or parboiled. Or, go without. I just found I wanted a bit more substance to the dish.