Albondigas (Mexican Meatball) Soup Recipe

If you have ever lived or spent much time in Mexico or in any of the southwestern states, you likely are already well familiar with albondigas, AKA classic Mexican meatball soup. Albondigas are also a staple menu item on most authentic Mexican restaurants you'll find farther afield, too. Now, if you have never had a taste of this savory, satisfying stuff, make sure you follow the steps here closely, because you are in for a treat and a half! Chef and recipe developer Stephanie Rapone of Pantry to Plate Meals has created a delightful take on albondigas, and one that will give you a very accurate take on the soup. 

And don't worry, though there are a fair amount of ingredients and many steps, Rapone says, "This recipe is very simple and straight-forward as far as technique goes." So just read through the whole recipe before you start, measure and prep your ingredients carefully, then go for it! A Mexican classic awaits.

We weren't kidding about there being a lot of ingredients here, but stay with us. You'll need vegetable oil, a yellow or white onion, carrots, celery, a yellow potato, tomato sauce, reduced-sodium chicken stock, fresh cilantro, uncooked long grain rice, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground beef, zucchini, and frozen peas.

"The secret ingredient in my version is the cinnamon that gets added to the meatballs," Rapone says. "It brings an extra depth of flavor and warmth that makes this soup even more comforting."

First things first, chop the onion. Then wash and slice the carrots and celery and set them aside — they can go in the same bowl. Then wash the potato (scrub it well or peel it) and cut it into ½-inch to ¾-inch pieces; you can add these to the carrots and celery. Next, wash and cut the zucchini into ½-inch to ¾-inch pieces, and you can put the zucchini in the same bowl as the peas.

Now, in a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it's hot but not smoking. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and cook until the onion turns translucent, or for about 5 minutes. Remove the onions to a bowl and allow them to cool slightly.

In the pot, add the carrots, potato, celery, tomato sauce, chicken stock, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Stir all of the ingredients well, cover the pot, and turn the heat up to high. Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a strong simmer and simmer the soup for 10 minutes.

While those ingredients are simmering, cut the cilantro leaves from the stems, reserving some leaves for garnish. Next, chop the remaining leaves and measure 2 tablespoons out, and add this chopped cilantro to the sautéed onion. Then chop the cilantro stems and add them to the simmering broth and vegetables.

To the cooled onion and cilantro, add the rice, the remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, the remaining fresh ground black pepper, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and the ground beef. Mix these together with your hands and then form 1-inch meatballs.

After the vegetables have cooked for 10 minutes, add the meatballs carefully to the pot. Allow these to cook in the broth for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes have passed, add the zucchini and peas to the broth, and cook for five more minutes. "Personally, I really don't like it when zucchini gets mushy or peas are over-cooked," Rapone says. "So I think keeping the last step after those get added short and eating right away is the best."

So let's wrap up! Taste the soup and add salt and pepper, if needed, then serve soup with cilantro leaves for garnish. And on the off chance you have any leftovers, Rapone says, "You can store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week and just reheat in the microwave or on the stove top."