Russian online news outlet Lenta.ru published a culinary guide on August 12, 2026, featuring six meatball soup recipes and expert preparation techniques provided by culinary blogger Svetlana Bakhlina.
The report, compiled by writer Alexandra Razumovskaya, outlines detailed instructions for dishes using chicken, beef, pork, and mixed minced meats alongside safe meat handling guidelines.
Lenta.ru is a major online news publication based in Moscow, Russia, covering current affairs, cultural news, and lifestyle content for millions of readers across the Russian speaking world.
Cheese and spinach poultry soups
The first recipe featured in the guide is a tender cheese soup with chicken meatballs. The dish requires 300 grams of chicken mince, two potatoes, one onion, one carrot, 180 grams of processed cheese blocks, two tablespoons of vegetable oil, salt, ground black pepper, and two liters of water. Cooks begin by seasoning the chicken mince with salt, pepper, and half of the finely chopped onion before shaping it into meatballs measuring two centimeters in diameter. The carrot is coarsely grated, the remaining onion is finely chopped, and the peeled potatoes are diced. The meatballs are fried in vegetable oil for two to three minutes on each side until golden, while the water is brought to a boil in a pot. The potatoes and carrot are added to the boiling water, followed by the fried meatballs once the water returns to a boil. After simmering for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked, processed cheese grated into a separate bowl is mixed with hot broth to melt before being stirred into the soup for a final three minute boil. Razumovskaya noted that block cheese dissolves faster in hot broth. The guide also notes that adding semolina to the ground meat helps meatballs keep their shape and remain tender, while a pinch of nutmeg enhances the soup flavor.
The second option is a chicken meatball and spinach soup. It uses two potatoes, half an onion, one carrot, two garlic cloves, 200 grams of chicken mince, one bunch of fresh spinach, salt, and ground black pepper. The potatoes are cut into sticks, placed in water, and set to heat. Chicken meatballs measuring two to three centimeters in diameter are formed and placed directly into the pot to cook with the potatoes. Finely chopped onion, carrot, and garlic are sautéed in vegetable oil until soft before being added to the soup to cook for one minute. Fresh spinach is blended with hot broth into a smooth mush and stirred into the soup to cook for one additional minute before final seasoning with salt and pepper.
Beef and pork soup methods
Svetlana Bakhlina shared her recipe for beef meatball soup with a golden broth. The meatballs require 500 grams of beef mince, one small onion, two tablespoons of cold water, salt, and black pepper. The soup base uses 2.5 liters of water, four potatoes, one large carrot, one onion, two tablespoons of butter or clarified butter, two bay leaves, black peppercorns, salt, and fresh dill and parsley for serving. The onion is finely grated and kneaded by hand into the beef mince with salt, pepper, and cold water before resting in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. In a heavy bottomed pot, the chopped onion is fried in melted butter for two to three minutes, after which the grated carrot is cooked for four to five minutes until golden. Water, bay leaves, and peppercorns are added and brought to a boil, followed by diced potatoes that cook for 10 minutes. Walnut sized meatballs shaped from the chilled mince are dropped into the boiling soup, foam is skimmed off, and the mixture simmers for 12 to 15 minutes. After adding salt and chopped greens, the pot is covered to rest off the heat for 10 minutes. Bakhlina said the golden color of the broth comes from thoroughly frying the carrots until they soften and turn the butter bright orange, rather than from adding spices.
A multicooker recipe for pork meatball soup combines 350 grams of pork mince, 100 milliliters of milk, 50 grams of white bread, 50 grams of onion, salt, and pepper for the meatballs. The soup requires two liters of water, four potatoes, one onion, one carrot, three sprigs of parsley, two tablespoons of vegetable oil, one tablespoon of tomato paste, and 80 grams of star shaped noodles. Crustless white bread is soaked in milk for five minutes, squeezed, and mixed with pork mince, chopped onion, salt, and pepper before resting covered for 20 minutes. In the multicooker fry setting, the onion and carrot are browned in oil, mixed with tomato paste, and cooked for two minutes. Water is added on the soup or boil setting, brought to a boil, and cooked with diced potatoes for 10 minutes. Walnut sized meatballs shaped with wet hands are added to cook for five minutes, followed by the star noodles for a 10 minute cook in soup mode. Half of the chopped parsley is stirred in before a five minute rest on the keep warm setting, with the remaining parsley sprinkled over individual bowls upon serving. Razumovskaya highlighted that the meatballs can be pre-made and frozen, allowing them to be added directly from the freezer with a slightly extended cooking time.
The fifth recipe details a classic pork meatball soup with fine vermicelli. Ingredients include 500 grams of pork mince, two onions, one carrot, one egg, five to six medium potatoes, 80 grams of fine vermicelli, 2.5 liters of water, salt, ground black pepper, one to two bay leaves, and 20 grams of fresh dill. One onion is blended or finely grated and mixed into the mince with the egg, salt, and pepper until uniform. Wet hands shape the mince into walnut sized balls that are dropped into boiling water to cook for 10 minutes while foam is skimmed from the surface. A second finely chopped onion and grated carrot are added to cook covered for five minutes on medium-low heat. Medium-cut potatoes are boiled in the broth for 15 minutes until soft, followed by the vermicelli for five minutes under a lid. Bay leaves and fresh dill are stirred in for a final three to five minute simmer.
Mixed meat and cream recipe
The final recipe combines 280 grams of mixed pork and beef mince with 150 milliliters of 15 percent fat cream, 350 grams of potatoes, one onion, one carrot, two sprigs of fresh dill, 40 milliliters of vegetable oil, salt, ground black pepper, and 1.5 liters of water. Diced onion and grated carrot are fried in oil inside a heavy pot for five minutes, then diced potatoes are added to fry for two to three minutes. Boiling water is poured in, and the vegetables simmer for 15 minutes until soft. Seasoned mince is shaped into meatballs measuring two to three centimeters in diameter and dropped into the soup to cook covered for 10 minutes. Heated cream that has not been boiled is poured in, brought back to a boil, and cooked for five minutes before dill and pepper are added for a 10 minute resting period off the heat.
Ground meat selection and storage
The guide outlines essential criteria for evaluating ground meat quality. Fresh beef mince should appear red, pork pink, and chicken light pink. Vacuum packaged ground meat typically displays a dark purple-red shade that shifts to bright red upon exposure to air, which Razumovskaya noted is normal and not an indicator of poor quality. Any sour, ammonia, or musty odor indicates spoiled meat that should be rejected. Quality ground meat must have a uniform texture without large fat clumps or film, and buyers should avoid meat that appears paste-like or overly loose. Consumers must check manufacture dates and expiration labels. Fresh ground meat keeps in the refrigerator for one to two days at temperatures between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius, or in the freezer for three to four months at minus 18 degrees Celsius or lower.
Safe defrosting methods
Razumovskaya detailed three safe methods for defrosting ground meat. Thawing in the refrigerator is the safest and slowest method, preserving flavor and moisture while limiting bacterial growth. Meat in its package should sit in a dish on the lower shelf near the back wall without a tight cover, allowing free air circulation. Once thawed, meat remains usable in the fridge for one to two days. Portions up to 500 grams require 10 to 12 hours, portions between 500 grams and one kilogram take 18 to 24 hours, and portions between one kilogram and 1.5 kilograms require 24 to 30 hours.
Cold water defrosting suits cooks with less time. The ground meat must remain sealed in leak-proof packaging or a heavy zip-top bag to keep water out, submerged in a large bowl of cold water that is replaced every 20 to 30 minutes. Portions up to 500 grams defrost in about one hour, portions between 500 grams and one kilogram take 1 to 1.5 hours, and portions between one kilogram and 1.5 kilograms require 1.5 to 2 hours. Razumovskaya warned that ground meat should never be defrosted at room temperature because warm air creates an ideal environment for bacterial multiplication.
Microwave defrosting offers the fastest option but requires careful monitoring to prevent the outer edges from cooking. The meat is removed from its packaging, placed in a microwave-safe container, and heated on the defrost setting or at 50 percent power in one to two minute intervals. Cooks must turn the meat and separate thawed sections between pulses. Portions up to 500 grams take three to four minutes, portions from 500 grams to one kilogram take five to seven minutes, and portions from one kilogram to 1.5 kilograms require 8 to 10 minutes. Meat defrosted in a microwave must be cooked immediately and cannot be refrozen.
Expert cooking tips
Culinary blogger Svetlana Bakhlina offered several practical guidelines for improving meatball texture and broth clarity. She recommended shaping meatballs with a light touch rather than packing the ground meat tightly, explaining that a gentler handling produces softer meatballs. To achieve a clear broth, she advised simmering the soup on low heat without rapid boiling and consistently skimming foam during cooking, noting that active boiling causes fat and protein particles to cloud the liquid.
Bakhlina suggested chilling ground meat in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes prior to shaping so the meatballs retain their shape during cooking. She also recommended incorporating approximately 30 grams of butter per 500 grams of minced meat to boost juiciness as the butter melts during boiling. Finally, Bakhlina advised against overcooking meatballs, stating that simmering for five to seven minutes after they float to the surface is sufficient to keep them tender.
