Albóndigas Soup {Mexican Meatball Soup}

It was this Kicked Up Albóndiga Soup recipe from Hispanic Kitchen that first grabbed my attention.  I knew instantly it would be a hit at our house when I read the recipe.  We are on an undeniable meatball kick.  I’m not sure what’s gotten into us, but it’s full out meatball mania around here.

After doing some recipe research it was this Albondigas Soup Recipe by Simply Recipes, with her fresh herb albondigas (meatballs), that really drew me in.

What I discovered after reading multiple recipes is that no two recipes are the same.  I chose favorites from several and can already think of some wonderful ingredient substitutions for the next time we make it.

We kept the soup fairly mild with onion, carrot, celery and squash.  In the future I would likely add some diced jalapeno.  We added green peas.  Green beans, snow peas and diced zucchini were all mentioned as suitable veggie additions.  We used chicken broth, however beef broth would add a nice richness.  We gave our broth a squeeze of fresh lime juice, which gave it a hint of traditional Mexican Chicken Soup.

In other words, make Albóndigas Soup {Mexican Meatball Soup} your own.  The meatballs were by far my favorite.  I loved the rice which gave them a softness and the fresh herbs added such nice flavor.  I’m definitely a fan of combining mint and cilantro.

Recipe Tip:  prepare just before serving.  We made the soup, then didn’t serve it for a couple hours.  Some of the meatballs broke apart.  Didn’t change the flavor, just not as pretty.  I’ll be reshooting these pictures soon :)

Albondigas Soup {Mexican Meatball Soup}

adapted from Simply Recipes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

For meatballs…

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/3 cup uncooked white rice
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs combination of mint, cilantro and parsley, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

For soup…

• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 carrots sliced
• 2 celery ribs sliced
• 2 yellow squash diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 15- ounce can diced tomato
• 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or to taste
• 1 Tbl. fresh squeezed lime juice
• fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

 

For meatballs…

• Combine meatball ingredients, mixing until just blended. Form into 1-inch balls and reserve.

For soup…

• Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add onion, carrot, celery and squash; cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute. Add broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Drop meatballs into simmering soup one by one. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add frozen peas, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne and lime juice. Adjust to taste. Serve with fresh cilantro leaves.

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