Albondigas Soup

Name: Albondigas Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; ¼ cup flour*; 1 large egg; ¼ cup fresh mint leaves; ½ cup fresh parsley; 1 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp garlic powder; ¼ tsp ground ginger; ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp sea salt; 1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil; 1 small yellow onion; 2 carrots; 1 large stalk celery; 2 cloves garlic; 1 medium zucchini squash; 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth**; 1/2 cup tomato sauce***; ¼ cup fresh parsley; ½ tsp sea salt; ¼ tsp black pepper

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4.8

132 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings
4 servings
Calories
302 kcal
Course
Main Course, Soup
Cuisine
Mexican

Albondigas Soup

Tyler Espinosa

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Mexican albondigas soup with gluten-free meatballs is an incredibly flavorful meal, perfect for changing up your weeknight routine!

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Ingredients

Servings

For the Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef
¼ cup flour*
1 large egg
¼ cup fresh mint leaves chopped
½ cup fresh parsley chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder optional
¼ tsp ground ginger optional
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon optional
1 tsp sea salt

For the Soup:

1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
1 small yellow onion diced
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 large stalk celery chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 medium zucchini squash chopped
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth**
1/2 cup tomato sauce***
¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
½ tsp sea salt to taste
¼ tsp black pepper to taste

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Instructions

Prepare the Meatballs:

Transfer the ingredients for the meatballs to a large mixing bowl and use your hands to mix everything together until well-combined. This will be mushy and sticky, but you’ll survive it, I promise.
As an alternative, you can prepare the meatballs in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Form 12 to 20 meatballs out of the meat mixture, depending on the size meatballs you like.
Heat a large skillet (I use a 12-inch cast iron skillet) over medium heat with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes so that it becomes sizzling hot.
Place meatballs on the hot surface of the skillet and brown for 2 to 4 minutes, or until a golden brown crust forms. Carefully flip and cook another 2 to 4 minutes, or until your meatballs have browned on two sides. Set meatballs aside until you’re ready to add them to the soup.

Make the Soup:

Heat avocado oil (or cooking oil of choice) in a large thick-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven. Add the onion to the large pot and sauté, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped carrots and celery and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the browned meatballs to the stock pot, then add in the remaining ingredients for the soup.
Cover the pot and bring soup to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs have cooked through. The exact cooking time may vary depending on the size of the meatballs.
Meatballs are considered fully cooked once they have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’d like, you can insert a meat thermometer into the center of a meatball to verify the temperature.
If you’re cooking the soup slowly at a gentle simmer, wait until about 15 to 20 minutes before you’re ready to serve the soup to add the chopped zucchini. This ensures the zucchini doesn’t become overcooked or soggy.
Serve albondigas soup with white rice, Mexican rice, warm corn tortillas, lime wedges, a dollop of sour cream, or any side dishes you enjoy for a complete meal.

Notes

*Use gluten-free all-purpose flour, regular all-purpose flour, or ½ cup of panko bread crumbs. For a paleo version, use ½ cup of almond flour.
**You can also use chicken stock or beef stock.
***Or 4 tablespoons tomato paste
I originally shared this recipe in May of 2016. If you'd like the original recipe (which is very slightly different from this version), you can send me an email and I'll send it to you :)