Greek Meatball Soup

Instructions

1. Prepare the meatball mixture
   In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, grated onion, minced garlic, dill, parsley, 1 egg, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands until all ingredients are well incorporated.
2. Form the meatballs
   With wet hands to prevent sticking, form the mixture into meatballs about 1.5 inches (3-4 cm) in diameter. You should get approximately 18-20 meatballs. Place them on a tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
3. Cook the meatballs
   In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a simmer over medium heat. Gently drop the meatballs into the simmering broth one by one. Do not stir immediately as this might break the meatballs. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 30-35 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender.
4. Prepare the avgolemono sauce
   In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 eggs until frothy. Slowly add the lemon juice while continuing to whisk. Take a ladle of hot broth from the pot (making sure it contains no meatballs) and very slowly add it to the egg-lemon mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
5. Finish the soup
   Remove the pot from the heat. Slowly pour the egg-lemon mixture into the pot while stirring gently. The broth will immediately thicken and become creamy. Do not return the pot to the heat as the eggs may curdle.
6. Season and serve
   Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Let the soup rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with additional fresh dill and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.