Brothy Pork Meatballs with Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Spinach

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 22

Servings People

8 oz rice noodles (or use 1 cup jasmine white rice)
1 lb ground pork*
1 cup finely chopped herbs (cilantro, basil, mint and/or scallions)
2 tbsp fish sauce divided
½ tsp kosher salt divided
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
8 oz cremini mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes
4 cups water
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 (5 oz) container spinach
1 tbsp lime juice
Fresh herbs (basil, mint, scallions, and/or cilantro)
4 lime wedges
*You could also use ground chicken or turkey, but try to get dark meat (thigh) instead of white (breast) - see substitutions!

Cook your rice noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the pork, herbs, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Use a cookie scoop or your hands to form into ping pong ball sized meatballs.
In a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the meatballs to the pot and cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and cook on another side until browned, about 2-3 more minutes. Transfer to a plate. If you have a lot of fat in the pan, discard all but 1 tablespoon (this will depend on your pork. If using chicken, you will want to add 1 tablespoon oil to the pot before adding the shallot).
Reduce the heat to low, add the shallot and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to the pot, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the water, soy sauce or tamari and remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Return the meatballs to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 8-10 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked and tomatoes have burst open.
Stir in the spinach, cover, simmer until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and add more salt (or soy sauce), if needed.
Add rice noodles to your bowl and top with the soup and meatballs. Top with plenty of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime.

Substitutions:

Make vegan/vegetarian: use drained, pressed, cubed tofu in place of pork. Skip the browning part and just add it in with the veggies. Substitute 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari for fish sauce.
You can substitute equal amounts of soy sauce for fish sauce if you don’t like or don’t have it.
Use ground chicken thigh or turkey thigh instead of pork. Using ground breast meat will work too, but your meatballs will be a lot more dry.
Use chopped yellow onion or white parks of scallions in place of shallot.
Use any veggies you want in place of the mushrooms - fennel, cabbage, carrot, bell pepper...anything!
Skip the rice noodles all together for a lighter soup.
Substitute rice noodles with regular pasta noodles, udon noodles, soba noodles or simply use cooked rice.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Soup: up to 4 days in the fridge
- Rice noodles: up to 4 days in the fridge