meatball soup (sauer klops)

I was wearing shorts and a tank top as I made and ate this, but hey, it's one of my favorite dishes of all times! It comes from one of my most-used cookbooks, and one that I got from a lovely college professor of mine when I got married--More-with-Less Cookbook. Every recipe I make receives a rating of one out of ten, and this got a ten, so you how we feel about it.

Meatball Soup (Sauer Klops) apparently comes from a Prussian tradition and is still served in many North American Mennonite homes. I love the tiniest hint of sourness that comes from adding a bit of vinegar right before you serve it. (I love anything that's sour!)

To make the meatballs, combine:
1/4 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. finely rolled cracker or bread crumbs (I use panko)
1/2 c. evaporated or whole milk
1/2 t. salt
dash pepper

Form into balls 1.5 inches in diameter, and I put them on a plate in the fridge for a few minutes while I get on with the rest.

Combine in a big pot on the stove:
2 c. cubed potatoes
1 small onion cut in half (though I go ahead and cut mine into little half moons)
7 kernels allspice (I don't have access to this so I add a few shakes of ground cloves)
chopped parsley
1 carrot, sliced (I cube mine)
2 c. water
1 t. salt
dash pepper

Bring to a boil, then add the meatballs and cook it about 6 minutes in a pressure cooker (wish I had one of those!) or 20-30 minutes in the pot on the stove until everything's tender.

Then add:
1/2 c. milk or cream
2 t. vinegar

Skim the fat off the top if you need to before serving it up. We like to have "inaka" (countryside) bread from the bakery down the road with ours. Hubby's a ripper and a dunker but I like to pull off chunks, butter them as I go, and have it on the side with my bowl (or two) of soup. Remember Sally? "On the side" is a big thing with me. I just like it the way I like it.