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serving of albondigas soup

Albondigas Soup

Sunnyside Cook

Dawn Dobie
Meatball soup with Mexican flavors
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs

  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons dried mint leaves
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground oregano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons uncooked white rice
  • ½ pound lean ground beef
  • ½ pound ground pork

For the broth

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium to large yellow onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice
  • 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 3 tablespoons uncooked white rice
  • 5 carrots unpeeled but well scrubbed, cut in ¼ inch slices
  • 2 stalks celery cut in ¼ inch slices
  • 2 medium boiling potatoes unpeeled but well scrubbed, cut in ½ inch dice
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish, optional

Instructions
 

For the meatballs

  • Place the egg, garlic, herbs, spices, salt, pepper, and rice in a medium bowl. Mix well. Add ground beef and ground pork. Mix well with your hands.
  • Shape meat mixture into walnut-sized balls. Place on platter and refrigerate while you prepare the stock.

For the stock

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Add minced garlic. Stir another minute.
  • Add canned tomatoes with their juices to the onion-garlic mixture. Allow to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add beef broth to soup pot. Raise temperature to high and bring to a boil.
  • When the stock is boiling, add half of the meatballs, dropping them carefully by hand in various places in the pot so that they don’t stick together. Cook for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs from the stock and place in a bowl. Don’t worry if a few bits of onions and tomatoes are in the bowl as well. (They will return to the soup later with the meatballs).
  • Return the stock to boiling. Repeat the process with the remaining meatballs. Set meatballs aside.
  • Add 3 tablespoons of uncooked rice, carrots, celery, and potatoes to the stock. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Add meatballs along with any accumulated juices in bowl to soup pot; stir gently. Cover and continue simmering for 30 minutes.
  • Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.

Notes

The meatballs can be made and formed a day ahead of time.  Cover them and refrigerate.
The soup can be made 2 days ahead of time. Transfer cooked soup to container, cover, and refrigerate. Skim any hardened fat from surface of soup before reheating.
Adapted from Linda Medina "Cook's Exchange" Bon Appétit (Feb. 1986)