By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 8
239 cal · 75 min
Meatball Soup with Fermented Wheat Bran Broth
Recipe GLPRc17a81a9697838
A hearty Eastern European meatball soup built on a traditional fermented wheat bran broth (bors), enriched with tender rice-filled meatballs, fresh vegetables, and bright tomato juice. This comforting dish brings together ground meat, aromatic onions, bell peppers, and carrots in a deeply flavorful broth that has been fermented to develop complex, tangy notes.
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Ingredients
3 eggs
500 grams ground meat
150 grams rice
3 onions
2 bell peppers
2 carrots
1 liter fermented wheat bran broth (bors)
200 grams tomato juice
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, 1 egg (beaten), and 75 grams of the rice. Season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Shape the mixture into uniform meatballs, about the size of a walnut, and set aside.
Peel and finely dice 2 of the onions. Core and finely dice the bell peppers. Peel and slice the carrots into thin half-moons. Set all vegetables aside.
Pour the fermented wheat bran broth into a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Carefully add the meatballs in batches, allowing them to cook without crowding the pot. Once all meatballs have been added, maintain a gentle boil.
Add the diced onions, bell peppers, and carrot slices to the pot. Stir gently to distribute the vegetables. Continue cooking for 15 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Peel the remaining onion and cut it into quarters. In a separate small bowl, beat the remaining 2 eggs and set aside.
Stir the tomato juice and remaining 75 grams of rice into the pot. Add the quartered onion. Bring the soup back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low. Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the hot soup while stirring gently in a circular motion. The eggs will cook and create thin ribbons in the broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot, ensuring each bowl contains meatballs, rice, vegetables, and plenty of flavorful broth.
Comments
Fermented wheat bran broth is the sticking point—a specialty item you'll need to source at Harris Teeter's natural foods section or skip Charlotte altogether for an online order, adding real friction to a weeknight cook. The meatballs themselves build quickly from pantry staples, and the soup reheats beautifully, but the stated 75 minutes underestimates the broth-hunting time and assumes you already have this ingredient on hand. At roughly $1.50 per serving once you account for the broth, it's reasonable for a family meal that yields eight portions and stretches ground meat into substantial bowls. This works best if you plan ahead or substitute a standard beef or vegetable broth—a choice that shifts both the flavor and your shopping reality.
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