My husband and I are lucky to be surrounded by friends that value good food as much as we do. We take our time dining out at dinner dates and we’re often on the receiving end of judgmental glares from wait staff who wish they could turn our table. Meanwhile, potluck get-togethers feature all-star dishes from an amazing lineup of home cooks and we’re often gifted fancy olive oil or extra special sea salt for special occasions.

We’re also fortunate enough to have friends who share the fruits of their labor: we’ve made Bloody Mary mix by roasting backyard-grown tomatoes, eaten Kale chips whose main ingredient was harvested in a South Philadelphia community garden and even have a jar of honey from a friend whose mother is an apiarist.

Last week, we were given fresh lemongrass from our friends’ garden. The brightly scented, grassy herb elevated the broth of a semi-homemade turkey meatball soup I whipped up. I leaned on ingredients commonly used in Asian cooking — like ginger, scallions and soy sauce — for further inspiration.

Turkey Meatball Soup with Lemongrass-Ginger Broth

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

3 scallions, white parts minced and green parts sliced

3 teaspoons soy sauce

1-20 oz. package ground turkey

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

4-3 inch pieces fresh lemongrass, outer stalky parts removed

6 cups chicken broth

8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced

1 cup cooked jasmine rice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Using your hands or a spoon, in a large bowl, combine ½ tablespoon each of garlic and ginger, the white bottoms of the scallions, soy sauce and ground turkey. Set aside. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add remaining garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Cook until fragrant. Add onion and carrots and cook until just soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, stir and bring to a boil. Drop ¼ cup sized, loosely made balls of the turkey mixture into the broth. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until meatballs are cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove lid and add mushrooms and remaining scallions. Stir and turn off heat. Serve once mushrooms have softened. Season with salt and pepper.