This time last year I was sharing with you my leek and potato soup recipe.
The original recipe calls for beef mince, but I only had venison mince in the freezer, so I had to make do. It was quite a sacrifice!
I have to say, however, that these were the most succulent meatballs, so definitely give them a go if you happen to have some spare lying around.
This is actually very easy.
You can find orzo in your supermarket pasta section. If you have never come across it before it is a small grain-shaped pasta that is great for using in soups and dishes like this one. It cooks really quickly, making it great for quick weeknight fixes. You can also find it in the bulk bins in some supermarkets.
You need a can of condensed tomato soup for this.
Meatball, leek and tomato orzo
Serves four
500g lean mince, beef or venison
1 onion, very finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1 large leek, sliced into 1cm pieces (medallions intact)
400g can condensed tomato soup
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 cups beef stock
¾ cup orzo pasta
pepper to taste
parsley to serve
Preheat the oven to 180degC on bake and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Sauté the onions and the garlic until translucent and soft.
Mix the mince, garlic and onions, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley and salt and pepper. Take tablespoon amounts and roll into balls and place evenly on the baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Set to one side.
While waiting for the meatballs to cook, sauté the leek slices in a large deep-dish frying pan until browned lightly on both sides. Pour over the tomato soup, tomatoes, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and orzo.
Simmer on a medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent the orzo from sticking.
Once the orzo is al dente, gently add the meatballs and warm through on a low heat.
Serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley. Enjoy!
