Herby Ukrainian Style Winter Soup

Ukrainians and slavs in general are lovers of herbs and this soup is inspired by the nutritious soups and stews my family and ancestors have made over the years. Living in the countryside of the former USSR regions and Ukraine in particular, families typically eat seasonally and generally only consume what they themselves or their neighbors and local farmers can grow.

Typically herbs and produce are harvested from the garden in late summer and fall and these herbs are either used immediately, dried or made into a tincture, elixir, pickle or ferment of some kind. In essence, everyone ends up eating seasonally due to the availability of whatever produce is on hand at that moment.

If I’m being honest, I try to live this way as well - in accordance to the season at hand. I have never lived on or owned a farm (big life goal of mine) and having grocery stores around everywhere offers the latest convenience of what is in season and what is not. However, I still attempt to eat seasonally and try to purchase only what I need and will use each week.

This is still, of course, a work in progress, but being more frugal by actually consuming the food I purchase, doing a pantry clean out before I go grocery shopping and only buying what I will actually use within the next few days has helped me reach this goal.

Herbs Amplify Flavor:

I think the best thing about this Herby Ukrainian Style Soup is that you can use a variety of herbs to enrich the broth, which amps up the flavor a good amount. My secret to making this a flavor bomb of explosion is using homemade chicken broth. I’ve been making my own for the past two years and I truly don’t think I will ever go back. The flavor that homemade broth makes compared to store bought just doesn’t compare and I’ve definitely tried some pretty fancy broths and some not so fancy broths.

And the truth is that my homemade ones always taste better without a doubt. Throw some chicken bones or a carcass into a large pot, add some veggies or veggie scraps and cook for a few hours. You’ll end up with a delicious broth that can be used up through the week or frozen for later.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 1 medium carrot (1/2 cup), finely diced

• 2 stalks celery

• 1 medium japanese sweet potato, peeled and diced

• 5 cups chicken broth

• 1 lb ground turkey or chicken

• 1/4 tsp dried thyme

• 1/4 tsp dried oregano

• salt, to taste

• garlic powder, to taste

• 1/2 cup fresh dill (sub fennel fronds)

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (sub parsley)

Preparations:

• Start by oiling your pot. Once it’s hot to the touch, add in the onions and sautee for a minute or two before adding in the carrot and celery.

• Cook this down for about five minutes. Then, add in the sweet potatoes and continue cooking for a few minutes

• While this cooks prepare your turkey balls by combining the ground meat with 1/4 tsp each of thyme and oregano. Then add in the salt and garlic powder to taste.

• Form these into evenly size balls. Then, add them to the pot.

• Pour in the chicken broth and bring this to a boil. Once it’s boiling, turn it down to a simmer and cook for another 25 minutes until the meat & potatoes are fully cooked through.

• While this is cooking, finely chop the dill and parley. Then, add them both to the pot cook for another two to three minutes.

• Remove from heat and consume.