Armenian Pasta Soup (Nunug)

Armenian meatball soup with shell noodles, meatballs, tomato broth, and a swirl of cream.

Armenian Pasta Soup (Nunug)

Armenian Pasta Soup (Nunug) is my husband’s Armenian-Lebanese grandmother’s recipe, and it is one of his favorite childhood food memories. Tiny spiced beef meatballs, chickpeas, and little shells simmer in a tomato and red pepper broth, then a sizzle of garlic and dried mint butter goes in at the end and changes everything.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: armenian soup

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 214kcal

Author: Lola Jay

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb ground beef kibbeh nayeh meat if you can find it
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or paprika
⅓ cup number one bulghur or panko
½ cup water

Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon tomato paste
8 cups water
1.5 tablespoon chicken bouillon
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
1 can chickpeas washed and drained
2 cups small pasta shells
Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic mint butter

2 tablespoon butter
½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves crushed
¾ tablespoon dried mint

For serving

Plain Greek yogurt optional
Dried mint and Aleppo pepper

Instructions

Make the meatballs

In a small bowl, combine the bulghur and water. Work it with your hands and let it sit for 5 minutes.
⅓ cup number one bulghur, ½ cup water
Add the bulghur to the ground beef with the salt, pepper, allspice, garlic powder, and Aleppo pepper. Mix with your hands just until combined.
1 lb ground beef, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ¾ tsp allspice, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp Aleppo pepper or paprika
Roll into tiny meatballs. You should get about 35. Place on a plate and put in the freezer while you make the soup.

Make the soup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until deep red.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp tomato paste
Add the water and bouillon and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes.
8 cups water, 1.5 tbsp chicken bouillon
Stir in the lemon juice and chickpeas. Cook for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 can chickpeas
Add the shells and meatballs. Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is soft and the meatballs are cooked through.
2 cups small pasta shells

Garlic mint butter

In a separate pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and dried mint and sauté for 30 to 45 seconds. Do not burn the garlic.
2 tbsp butter, ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 4 garlic cloves, ¾ tbsp dried mint
Pour into the soup. Add a little soup to the pan to scrape up the rest and pour it back in. Taste for salt and pepper.
Salt and pepper to taste

Serve

Ladle into bowls and top with a spoonful of yogurt, a sprinkle of mint, and Aleppo pepper.
Plain Greek yogurt, Dried mint and Aleppo pepper

Video

Notes

Nutrition facts are only estimates.

Storage

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb the broth, so add a little chicken stock when reheating. I do not recommend freezing the soup. Freeze the raw meatballs on a plate, then transfer to a zip lock bag for up to 3 months, and use them in future soups.

Nutrition

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