This soup was a result of my pregnant wife having both constipation and GERD (very common) and being at a loss when having to decide between taking Pepcid for GERD or fiber supplements for constipation. She decided she didn’t want to do either, and wanted to go the natural way, so I researched GERD-friendly recipes (low in fat, salt, acid and high in fiber) but the result is also constipation-friendly and has become a household favorite. Depending on the broth that you use, it can also be keto, paleo, and gluten-free. Omitting the meatballs and substituting tofu makes it vegetarian and omitting the eggs makes it vegan. In it, I combine a traditional Chinese egg drop soup
with a chicken meatball soup but leave out the large amounts of salt and cornstarch/thickeners that can be found in such soups for a clear, clean, refreshing broth that makes you feel good afterwards. Alright, I had promised you less commentary.
Ingredients for 6 servings
1 c shredded carrot (for the ease of not peeling and dicing, but you can use a whole carrot, diced) 1 pint mushrooms (I used baby portabellas but shiitake or any mushroom would work) 3 scallions (green onion) 1tbs ginger paste (or grated ginger. I keep both ginger paste and whole ginger root on hand, and use the paste when I don’t want to grate up the ginger, and I slice the root for everything else) 1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs olive oil 1 tsp coconut aminos (I like this in place of soy sauce in recipes. It’s sweeter, cooks better, and imparts a deep umami without the sodium and the soy. I like soy sauce for dipping or topping.) 1lb ground chicken Several handfuls of baby spinach 3 eggs, beaten 6 cups Chicken broth (or vegetable broth, or water plus the appropriate number of bouillon cubes) 2 cups of water Optional: tofu instead of or in addition to chicken meatballs, but this will change the nutritional value As with any recipe, please read the entire recipe before starting.
Make the meatballs first. In a food processor or blender, coarsely chop the carrot, mushrooms, and scallions. Dump the mixture into a large bowl and add the ginger paste, ground chicken, sesame oil and coconut aminos. Gently mix with your hands and form about 18 golf-ball sized balls and place them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The meatballs should be slightly slippery and not sticky. In a large pot, add the chicken broth and 2 extra cups of water. Once the broth is boiling, add meatballs, and let them cook until all of them float to the surface, which is how you’ll know they’re done. Then slowly pour the beaten egg through the tines of a fork to make the characteristic wispy eggs in egg drop soup. Last, throw in several handfuls of spinach and stir it all up, taking care not to break the meatballs. Remove from heat and enjoy. Calories: 273, Fat:14g, Carbs 4.8g, Protein: 31g, Fiber: 8.5g, lots of vitamin potassium, and iron. The fiber is mostly ‘hidden’ in the meatballs thanks to the ground carrots and mushrooms, and while it’s not on the high end of fiber-rich meals, it makes up for it with plenty of fluid volume to help hydrate the body, and protein to keep you full.
