Albondigas Soup

Last updated on May 30th, 2018 at 05:47 pm

An incredible Albondigas Soup which is a traditional Mexican meatball soup loaded with vegetables and full of flavor.

Albondigas soup is a traditional Mexican Soup and albondigas simply means meatballs. In Mexico albondigas are usually served in a light broth with all sort of vegetables.

Meatball soup is a true comfort food, whether it’s my old time favorite Romanian meatball soup or Italian meatball soup.  I am, however, very fond of this Mexican style meatball soup. It’s quite light but very hearty and you can load it with vegetables. I ended up only using carrots and potatoes because that’s all I happened to have in the fridge, but you can use green beans, zucchini, yellow squash or celery.

The beauty of this soup is also how simple it is. But I love all the different herbs in this soup. I finally got  a chance to use quite a few of the different herbs hubs is trying to grow. Fresh mint, oregano, parsley and cilantro. I used them all. And what a great aroma and flavor it gives to the soup. There’s nothing like fresh herbs.

These fragrant herbs are in the meatballs too, so as you bite into each albondiga you will get all these beautiful flavors.

So next time you’re in the mood for a soup, and you really want something comforting, give this albondigas soup a try. It’s delicious and it’s hearty.

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!

4.88 from 24 votes

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Albondigas Soup

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

An incredible Albondigas soup which is a traditional Mexican meatball soup loaded with vegetables and full of flavor.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 6

Calories: 288 kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

For Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef extra lean
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1/2 cup rice long grain, uncooked (I used Basmati)
• 1 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
• 1/2 large onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 large carrot chopped to your liking
• 2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 14.5 oz diced tomatoes (1 can)
• 3 cups beef broth low sodium
• 3 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp cilantro fresh, chopped
• 2 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Add the tomatoes, broth, water and seasonings. Bring to a boil and turn down heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

4. 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 Video

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.

 

Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

 

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Originally published August 14, 2014.