An incredible Albondigas soup which is a traditional Mexican
meatball soup loaded with vegetables and full of if a light broth.
Servings: 6
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Ingredients For Meatballs
1 lb ground beef extra lean, or 1/2 lb beef & 1/2 lb spicy sausage
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup rice long grain, uncooked (I used Basmati)
1- 2 egg beaten
1/4 cup mint fresh, chopped
1/4 cup parsley fresh, chopped
1/4 cup oregano fresh, chopped or about 1 tbsp dry oregano
1 tsp cumin ground
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
For Albondigas soup
2 tbsp olive oil
½ – 1 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2
1 bay leaf (remove after soup is cooked)
1⁄2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 large carrot chopped to your liking
2 celery stalks, chopped lg.
2 medium Russet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
6-8 cups beef or chicken broth low sodium
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Optional:1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped
2 tbsp cilantro fresh, chopped
Instructions
In a bowl add all the meatball ingredients together and mix well. Shape into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. You should get about 25 to 30 meatballs, depending on how big
you make them. Place meatballs in fridge until ready to add to soup.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom 5 qt pot to medium heat. Add onions and garlic and
cook until onion is translucent, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add chopped carrots
and potatoes to pot and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until you get a nice caramelization
going.
Add the tomatoes, broth, water and seasonings. Bring to a boil and turn down heat and let
simmer for about 5 minutes.
Make sure the soup is lightly simmering when you go to add the meatballs. This will ensure
that they start cooking immediately instead of just sitting in the broth.
Add meatballs to pot one at a time, slowly. Using a wooden spoon slowly stir. Cover and let
cook over low to medium heat for another 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Add lemon juice and herbs and taste and adjust for seasoning.
Recipe Notes
If you have extra meatballs or don’t use them all, you can place them in an airtight container and freeze them until ready to use.