By CHRISTOPHER

KIMBALL Christopher

Kimball’s Milk Street

The Syrian soup shurba w’kibbeh is pure comfort food, a rustic mixture of meatballs and rice in a simple tomatoey broth that’s redolent with warm spices. It’s also a prime example of the complex flavor you can build by drawing on ingredients already in your pantry.

Syrian-Style Meatball

Soup with Rice

and Tomatoes

— Servings: 4

1 pound ground beef OR turkey 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 large yellow onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater, divided 5 medium garlic cloves, finely grated 2 teaspoons ground allspice OR ground cumin, divided ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes OR ground cinnamon OR both Kosher salt and ground black pepper 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 quart low-sodium beef OR chicken broth ½ cup long-grain white rice OR basmati rice, rinsed and drained

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, 2 tablespoons oil, ¼ cup of the grated onion, half of the garlic, 1½ teaspoons of the allspice, the red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined; set aside.

In a large pot, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the remaining onion, the remaining garlic, the remaining ½ teaspoon allspice and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is browned and sticks to the pot, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with juices, the broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits, then stir in the rice. Reduce to medium and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes; the rice will not be fully cooked.

Using dampened hands, pinch off a 1-tablespoon portion of the meat mixture, form it into a ball and drop it into the broth. Shape the remaining meat mixture and add to the pot in the same way; it’s fine if the meatballs are not completely uniform. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the soup is slightly thickened and the center of the meatballs reach 160°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Off heat, taste and season with salt and black pepper.