Porcupine Meatball Soup
Porcupine Meatball Soup is a comforting, home-style soup featuring meatballs made from ground beef mixed with uncooked rice, which pokes out like quills when cooked. The meatballs are simmered in a savory tomato-based broth, often with onions and herbs. It's a classic American comfort food, with roots in mid-20th century home cooking.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This is a balanced, protein-rich meal. The ground beef provides significant protein and iron, while the rice adds carbohydrates for energy. A typical serving is moderately high in sodium and provides a good amount of potassium from the tomatoes.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 290 kcal |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Carbs | 22 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 680 mg |
| Iron | 2.5 mg |
| Potassium | 420 mg |
| Vitamin C | 8 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.8 mcg |
| Zinc | 3.5 mg |
| Selenium | 15 mcg |
| Phosphorus | 180 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.5 mg |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
The name comes from the uncooked rice grains in the meatball mixture that swell and protrude during cooking, resembling porcupine quills. Nutritionally, it cleverly combines protein and starch in a single, easy-to-digest form.
