Pumpkin Meatball Soup



Hello there friends!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend, the weather here was so nice and we had the chance to visit The Toronto's Black Creek Pioneer Village, you will see some pictures at the end of the post.
Now this wonderful soup that I have  today is inspired by a Greek meatball soup and it;s soooo good!
We're going to have this soup at our table all winter long! It's just perfect for kids, my son loves it!

Ingredients
1 pumpkin about 2lbs (you can use butternut squash or sweet pumpkin)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 liter water or chicken broth (I had a little broth, about a cup, the rest I used water)
4 tbsp of  rice 
Juice of half a small lemon
Meatballs
400 - 500 g ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 egg
4 tbsp rice
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt - Pepper

How to make
Using a bowl, mix and knead all the ingredients of the meatballs. Cover and set in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Halve and Seed the squash then place the pieces cut side down on a baking sheet and bake about 30 minutes until soft.
When it is soft and ready, let cool slightly and scoop out the flesh. Measure about 2 cups for the soup.



Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and carrot. Stir, add salt and pepper, cumin and when the vegetables are tender add the garlic. Stir and add the broth.
When the soup comes to a boil reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the vegetables using a food processor or a blender. Add the pumpkin pulp and stir.
 Shape small meatballs and add them to the pot.
Add the 4 tbsp of rice bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, add the lemon juice and serve with a spoonful of Greek Yogurt.

Enjoy!

Black Creek Pioneer Village

The Black Creek Pioneer Village is a historic site inside the town of Toronto and it is a recreation of life in early 19th century.













Have a nice week!