Potato Soup with Leek, Carrot & Meatballs
A broth that’s more stew than stock — potato cubes break down just enough to thicken it, while leek and carrot hold their shape. On top: paprika-and-thyme meatballs, browned separately so they stay together instead of crumbling into the pot.
Twenty minutes, one pot and one frying pan, 523 kcal and 27 grams of protein in one bowl.
Ingredients
- potato 6 ounces
- carrot 1
- leek 1
- garlic 1 clove
- 96% lean ground beef 3 ounces
- thyme, dried 1.5 teaspoon
- paprika (ground spice) 1 teaspoon
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoon
- water 15 fluid ounces
- vegetable bouillon 0.5 cube
- yogurt, nonfat 3 tablespoons
Method
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Peel the potatoes and carrot. Cut the potatoes into large cubes and the carrot into half slices. Slice the leek into rings and rinse in a colander with cold water. Press the garlic clove.
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In a small bowl, mix the ground meat with some pepper, salt, thyme and paprika powder. Knead together and form small meatballs with your hands.
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Heat half of the oil in a soup pot. Sauté the garlic for a minute. Add the leek and cook for another minute. Add the potatoes and carrot to the pot along with the water and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil and let it simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes until the potatoes and vegetables are tender.
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Heat the other half of the oil in a frying pan. Brown the meatballs briefly on all sides. Then add them to the soup along with the yogurt in the last 5 minutes and let them cook through in the soup.
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Serve the soup in a large bowl.
Cut the potatoes into large cubes, not small ones. In a 15-minute simmer, small cubes dissolve completely — you lose the chunks and end up with a thin, starchy broth. Large cubes soften on the outside while keeping their shape, giving the soup body without turning it into purée.
In a University of Sydney study comparing 38 common foods at equal calories, boiled potatoes scored 323% on the Satiety Index — the highest of any food tested. That’s more than 3 times fuller than white bread and over 7 times higher than a croissant, for the same number of calories.
Holt et al., 1995 — A Satiety Index of common foods · DOIWhy This Works
Behind this recipe
Why is this soup so filling for 523 calories?
Potatoes are one of the most satiating foods ever measured. In a University of Sydney study comparing 38 common foods, boiled potatoes scored 323% on the Satiety Index — over three times higher than white bread at the same calorie count. This recipe gives you 168 grams of simmered potato in broth, which stretches the bowl without raising the calorie total.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I swap the ground beef for another meat?
Turkey mince or chicken mince both work — just keep the fat percentage similar to 96% lean so the meatball texture holds. The thyme-and-paprika seasoning pairs well with any ground meat. If you use fattier beef, the macro split shifts: you gain fat calories and the meatballs shrink more during browning.
Why does the recipe use yogurt instead of cream?
Nonfat yogurt adds creaminess without the fat load — you get a tangy richness for roughly 25 calories instead of 150+ from heavy cream. Stir it into the simmering soup rather than adding it to the served bowl: the gentle heat tempers it gradually so it doesn’t curdle.
