Low Carb Kim Chi Meatball Soup

I’ve been wanting to see if I could create this recipe and make sure that it had a deep flavorful broth not just a punch of Kim Chi and Gochujang sauce.

It started with a deeply seasoned pork broth, layered with fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, and a splash of seasoned rice vinegar for brightness. From there, I built in heat and depth with kim chi, Gochujang, Taekyung chili flakes, and a mix of vegetables.

The real highlight… Kim Chi pork meatballs, roasted in the oven and added right at the end so they stay tender and full of flavor.

I used shirataki noodles to keep it low carb (but rice noodles would work just as well).

The end result is a rich, savory broth with a balanced heat and a clean brightness that lets the kim chi actually shine and not overpower.

Low Carb Kim Chi Meatball Soup

Meatballs:

1 TB  Olive Oil

1lb. ground Pork

2 Green Onions, finely sliced

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 Egg Yolk, lightly beaten

1 tsp Sesame Oil

1 tsp Fish Sauce

1 tsp Ginger, minced

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

3 Tb Kim Chi, chopped

1 tsp Gochujang sauce

1-2 tsp Sesame Seeds

1/2 tsp Taekyung Flakes

1/3 cup Panko Crumbs

Soup:

1 1/2 quarts seasoned Pork Broth or Beef Broth

1 1/2 Tb Fish Sauce

2 Tb Rice Vinegar

1 1/2 Tb Soy Sauce

2 Tb Sesame Oil

1 tsp Gochujang

1/2 tsp Taekyung Flakes

1 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken

1 Tb Garlic, minced

3 Tb Ginger, minced

2-3 Green Onions, sliced

1 very large Cremini Mushroom, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Matchstick Carrots, chopped

2 cups Cabbage, slivered

1/4-1/3 cup Kim Chi, slivered

1 pkg Shirataki noodles

Serve with fresh washed bean sprouts and sliced green onion tops

1. Preheat oven to 400’ degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with a tablespoon of olive oil, set aside.

2. In large bowl, mix together ground pork, sliced green onions, minced garlic, egg yolk, sesame oil, fish sauce, minced ginger, salt, pepper, sesame seeds, Gochujang, Taekyung flakes, minced kimchi and panko crumbs. With wet hands, form meat mixture into 24 meatballs.

3. Place meatballs on oiled baking sheet, about an inch apart and bake 20 minutes. Remove meatballs from oven, cool slightly.

4. Set the pan aside and save for now.

1. In a large pot, over medium-high heat add pork broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Bring to a simmer.

2. Add Gochujang, Taeking flakes, and BTB bouillon. Bring to a low boil.

3. Reduce heat to a simmer.  Add minced garlic, minced ginger, matchstick carrots, sliced green onions and mushroom. Simmer for about 5-8 mins.

4. Take the cookie sheet add a tiny bit of  water and scrape up browned bits (frond), add to pot of simmering broth. This is adds additional flavor and a deeper color.

5. Add cabbage and Kim chi simmer for another 10 mins.

6. Finally add meatballs and Shirataki noodles simmer for 5 mins.

Serve with sliced green onions and fresh bean sprouts

Tips:

-Everything is to taste add and subtract to what you like.

-If you aren’t worried about carbs you can cook rice noddles and add them to the soup or I prefer adding to each to bowl and then ladling the soup over the top.

-You may need to add a little water as the liquid cooks down and can intensify the flavors.

Approximate Nutritional Facts:

6 Servings

Calories:  335

Protein:  18g

Fat:  25g

Total Carbs:  13g

Fiber:  3g

Net Carbs: 10g

Safe to say… this won’t be the last batch.