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1
To make the meatballs, add the ground beef, grated Parmesan, 3 tablespoons of the parsley, the lemon juice, ground oregano, garlic, egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper to a bowl and mix together well.
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2
Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls.
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3
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
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4
Brown the meatballs in batches, turning to brown all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
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5
No need to cook them all the way as they'll go back into the soup later.
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6
Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.
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7
Now, grab some beef stock and pour it into a pot.
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8
Add some salt and pepper.
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9
Stir in the tomato paste--it adds so much yummy richness.
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10
Make a bouquet garni by adding the peppercorns, bay leaves and remaining 1/4 cup parsley to a piece of cheesecloth and tying it into a bundle using kitchen twine; drop it right into the soup.
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11
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
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12
Remove the bouquet garni, which now resembles a jellyfish with jaundice.
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13
Go ahead and discard it; it's lived a full life.
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14
Add the diced potatoes, carrots, celery and onions and the sliced cabbage.
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15
Finally, in go the browned meatballs.
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16
Let the soup simmer long enough for the vegetables to get slightly tender and the meatballs to cook all the way through, another 20 minutes or so.
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17
You can sprinkle the soup with some freshly grated Parmesan if you'd like one last dose of decadence.
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18
Serve with crusty bread.
