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Here's an easy recipe for Albondigas Soup. I used all beef in this version but you could easily use pork or turkey. So good! mexicanplease.com
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4.12 from 45 votes

Albondigas Soup

Here's an easy recipe for Albondigas Soup. I used all beef in this version but you could easily use pork or turkey. So good! 
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6
Calories: 710kcal
Author: Mexican Please

Ingredients

  • 4-5 tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 onions
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • 1 chipotle in adobo
  • 1-2 potatoes
  • 1/2 cup rice
  • 1-2 carrots
  • 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 10-12 cups stock
  • fresh cilantro
  • lime wedges

For the meatballs:

  • 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
  • 1/4 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Start by roasting 4-5 tomatoes in the oven at 400F. (Normally they need about 20-30 minutes to fully roast, but I usually take them out when I need them because there's an extended simmer coming up.)
  • You'll need 1/2 cup chopped mint for the meatballs. Pull the leaves off of 8-10 mint sprigs. Rinse and finely chop them.
  • Add the mint to a large mixing bowl along with 1.5 lb. ground beef, 2 eggs, 1/4 onion (finely chopped), 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and 1/2 cup of cooked white rice.   Combine well and then use your hands to form meatballs that are approximately 1 inch wide. Keeping your hands wet will help if the mixture is sticky.
  • Saute 1.5 roughly chopped onions and 4-5 whole, peeled garlic cloves in a dollop of oil over medium heat. Cook until the onion is starting to brown.
  • Add the onion, garlic, roasted tomatoes, and a single chipotle in adobo to a blender. Combine well.
  • Finely chop the potatoes and carrots.  Add them to a large saucepan along with 1/2 cup of uncooked rice and sweat them in some oil over medium heat for a few minutes.  Season with a pinch of salt. 
  • Add the blender puree to the veggies along with 10-12 cups of stock, 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 1.5 teaspoons salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper.  Raise heat and bring to a boil.
  • Gently add the meatballs and reduce heat to a simmer.  The meatballs will need approx. 10-15 minutes to cook dependent on how big they are, but I simmered this batch for 20-25 minutes to give the veggies time to cook. 
  • Take a final taste for seasoning.  I add another generous pinch of salt to this batch.
  • Serve immediately with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.  Be sure to get lots of veggies in the serving bowls.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Notes

Try to get your hands on some stock that you trust.  I'm using homemade vegetable stock for this batch, but chicken stock works really well too.
Keep in mind that you always have the option of browning the meatballs first before adding them to the broth.  You'll get some fat coming out of the meat during the simmer, and while it adds great flavor it could get greasy if you're using higher fat ground beef.  I used a lean ground beef for this batch and that's a perfect fit for cooking them in the broth.

Nutrition

Calories: 710kcal