Vegan Mexican Meatball Soup (With A Primal Scream on The Side!)

There is a running joke in this house that my "best" cooking happens when I am most "stressed" for time. Seems I have been more and more stressed for time lately, and generally "stressed" overall. That's how this little pot of a meal came about--I looked at the clock, it was nearly six and hubby was due home: SOON! I did what any stressed wife in my predicament does, grabbed the cutting board, an onion, garlic, celery and carrots and said: it's in god's hands now. (Well, not really, but I sort of felt providence had something to do with the dinner finale.)

I have no focus here lately. It's all the drama in my life: dog diagnosis, husband diagnosis, life. Last night while I was making dinner I was so overwrought, I just wanted to scream. So I sort of did. I sat there chopping, listening to NPR (which can incite a scream in me regardless of my mood), prepping dinner, until I'd abandoned all self preservation and had a primal moment to myself. It was more of an anguished sigh, only with a sound at the end of it. 

Yesterday I had to get a new lawn mower. Last week, our eight year old heirloom mower began shaking so badly while I was mowing, I thought the engine was getting ready to fly off. Lucky for me, there are several "engine smart" people that live near by. One such lucky soul happened to be outside when this rattle occurred and I ushered them over to inspect. "What do you think--is she salvageable?" A few days later and the answer came: No. It's a safety hazard, you're lucky you didn't lose a foot. Oh joy.

Right now, I feel like the homemaker AND candlestick maker. (Not complaining, just saying.) So, at eight a.m. yesterday morning, I headed out the door, ready to take on the home improvement giants with twenty questions and concerns regarding lawn mowers. After three stops and various, "Why does this say front wheel self-propelled and this one say rear wheel self-propelled?" "How much horse power does a woman doing the mowing need?" "I have hills that require a ski lift to climb in winter--will this one pull me up that hill?" "Why are the rear wheels bigger than the front wheels?" "Is there a green friendly rating?" "How about noise level?" Four hours later I had settled on a mower, unloaded it, fueled it, and mowed. I'm not 100% satisfied with this mower because she just doesn't have the grit my old one had. Time will tell.

I craved meatballs, but didn't want pasta. I wanted Mexican. So, having recalled a little dish of "Albondigas" we used to have at a place we frequented for dinner when we lived in the city, I set out to re-create it vegan. This soup was terrific. Thank god. The exhaustion I felt as I cooked dinner didn't seem to present itself in our bowls of YUM while we dined in front of the TV. I asked Dr. Thyme, "So, what do you think?" Mmm. And he got up for seconds--which is the telltale that all is right with the dinner world. Finally. Meal accomplished. Husband happy. All is right with the world. . . for now. 

This soup is terrific on its own, quite filling, simple and better yet, fast. You could dress it up with vegan sour cream and sprinkle some vegan cheese on top. I opted for chopped avacado. I could eat avacado every day of the year. Enjoy!

Vegan Mexican Meatball Soup

For the soup:

1 onion chopped

2 celery stalks diced

2 carrots chopped

5 garlic cloves minced

2 yukon gold potatoes cubed (or you could use russets)

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

pinch of saffron (like 1/4 teaspoon--*optional, but totally worth it)

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

fresh ground pepper (just a bit)

1 veggie boullion cube (*I used low-sodium version)

4 cups water (or veggie broth if not using the boullion cube)

1 avacado (for garnish)

Add about two tablespoons of safflower oil or veggie oil to your soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, potatoes, celery and garlic and saute for about 5-10 minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add the seasonings, mix well to coat the veggies, then add a cup of water, cover and allow to simmer for about ten minutes. Check veggies after about five minutes--the water should be absorbed, the potatoes beginning to soften. Add the remaining water, canned tomatoes, boullion cube and bring the soup up to a boil. Allow to boil for about 3-5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium low, and allow soup to simmer for about 20 minutes longer. Taste test before serving--make sure the potatoes are tender. Meantime, you can make your meatballs.

For the meatballs:  

1 package Gimme Lean Sausage

1/3 cup cooked brown rice

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic (I used the kind in the jar--it's easier)

3 scallions, white and green parts, sliced thin

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix together really well with a wooden spoon. Shape into 1" balls, wet aside on a plate. Heat a medium saute pan with about 2 tablespoons of safflower oil or veggie oil. Add meatballs to pan and cook until brown on one side--about five minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan. Then carefully, rotate the balls to brown on all sides. Keep an eye on them while you are cooking so they don't burn! After all sides have browned, turn the heat down and cover and allow to cook for five minutes longer. Remove from heat and serve over the soup!