Albondigas Soup
User Reviews
4.8
Albondigas Soup
Description
Albondigas Soup centers on spiced meatballs made from ground beef, Mexican chorizo, cooked white rice, minced garlic, and fresh mint, bound with egg and seasoned with cumin, salt, and pepper. These meatballs are gently combined to avoid toughness and formed into small, uniform pieces before cooking. The soup begins with sautéing aromatics including celery, carrots, and onion in olive oil, then incorporating tomato paste and spices to deepen the flavor base.
Simmered in beef broth, the meatballs poach until cooked through while the soup's vegetables soften. Additional green beans and diced potatoes are added toward the end to complete the vegetable mix. This method creates a broth rich with meat and spice flavors alongside tender, fluffy rice-filled meatballs infused with fresh herb notes from mint and cilantro.
This soup can be served as a warm, satisfying meal on its own. The versatile vegetable components allow for substitution based on availability, such as adding squash or zucchini for variation.
Notes suggest alternatives if Mexican chorizo isn't available, including making your own version or using all ground beef. Fresh mint can be substituted with a mixture of cilantro and parsley. Vegetables are flexible, so use what you have on hand to customize the soup.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- ½ pound ground beef lean
- ½ pound Mexican chorizo
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup white rice cooked
- ¼ cup mint chopped, tightly packed leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin ground
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
For the soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 celery sliced to ½-inch slices, stalks
- 3 large carrot peeled and sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon cumin ground
- 8 cups beef broth (or chicken or vegetable broth)
- 8 ounces green beans cut to 1-inch pieces
- 1 large potato diced into 1-inch chunks
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the meatballs to a large bowl. Mix together with your hands until just combined. (Try not to overwork the meat too much, just until you feel like all the ingredients have been evenly dispersed throughout the mixture.)
- Roll the mixture into 24 meatballs and set aside. (I used a small cookie scoop to gather about 1 heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture, and then formed it using my hands.)
- Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, celery, carrots, onions, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine and cook for 8 minutes, until the onions have softened.
- Add the tomato paste, dried oregano, and ground cumin. Mix together until the tomato paste has fully coated all of the vegetables.
- Add the broth and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low.
- Carefully drop the meatballs into the pot one by one. Bring the soup back to a simmer, then cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the green beans and potatoes. Cover and cook for 15 more minutes.
- Add the cilantro, mix together, and taste. Season with more salt if necessary.
Notes
- If Mexican chorizo isn't available, consider making your own with ground pork and spices or use all ground beef for 1 lb total.
- Fresh mint can be replaced with half fresh cilantro and parsley or all cilantro to maintain herbal freshness.
- Vegetables like squash, zucchini, corn, and peas can be used as alternatives or additions to the listed ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 267 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1/6th of recipe | |
| Calories | 267kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 78mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 1522mg | 63% |
| Potassium | 1518mg | 32% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 6633IU | 133% |
| Vitamin C | 23mg | 26% |
| Calcium | 70mg | 7% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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