Albondigas (Mexican Meatball) Soup Recipe
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Servings:
6 Servings
Ingredients
  • ½ yellow or white onion
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 yellow potato
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • ⅓ cup uncooked long grain rice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup frozen peas
Directions
  1. Chop the onion, then wash and slice the carrots and celery.
  2. Wash the potato and cut it into ½- to ¾-inch pieces. Wash and cut the zucchini into ½- to ¾-inch pieces.
  3. In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, then add the onions and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the onions to a bowl and allow them to cool slightly.
  4. In the pot, add the carrots, potato, celery, tomato sauce, chicken stock, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir, cover, and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium to maintain a strong simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. While pot is simmering, cut the cilantro leaves from the stems. Reserve some leaves for garnish. Then chop 2 tablespoons' worth of leaves and add them to the sautéed onion.
  6. Chop the cilantro stems and add them to the boiling broth and vegetables.
  7. To the onion and cilantro, add the rice, remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, remaining ¼ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and ground beef. Mix with your hands and form 1-inch meatballs.
  8. After the vegetables have cooked for 10 minutes, add the meatballs carefully. Allow them to cook in the broth for 15 minutes.
  9. After 15 minutes, add the zucchini and peas to the broth, and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper, if needed.
  10. Serve the soup with cilantro leaves for garnish.