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    Homepage » Recipes

    Albondigas Soup (Caldo de Albóndigas)

    Published: Oct 25, 2020 · Modified: Oct 25, 2020 This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 17 Comments

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    Albondigas Soup

    This Albondigas soup recipe is so flavorful, healthy, and easy to make. It is one of my family's favorite soup recipes! It's perfect for lunch or dinner, especially on a cold or rainy day!

    Soup is one of my favorite things to eat and make all year round. If you're looking for an easy soup, try this Albondigas soup recipe!

    Albondigas means “meatballs” in Spanish. It is a classic Mexican soup loaded with meatballs and vegetables.

    This Caldo de Albondigas recipe is so tasty and filling. The meatballs are so tender and juicy. They are perfectly seasoned with herbs and spices. Moreover, The broth is so good that you'll be tempted to slurp it right from the bowl, just like when you were a kid.

    Also check out this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.

    Albondigas Soup

    Jump to:
    • The Ingredients and Variations:
    • Here's how to make the Classic Mexican Albondigas soup
    • Make-Ahead Meatballs 
    • How to Store the Leftovers:
    • Albondigas Soup

    You can cook this Sopa de Albóndigas soup on a stove, in a slow cooker, or in an instant pot. Now, let's talk about the ingredients for Albondigas soup!

    The Ingredients and Variations:

    This albondigas soup is made of:

    • Ground beef (either lean or extra lean, depending on your preference). Use ground meat that's at least 20% fat to ensure that your meatballs stay moist and juicy. Or, use 90% or 93% lean if you want to limit your saturated fat intake and don't want to skim off the fat that rises to the top of the soup (a cleaner broth).
    • Fresh spearmint, Mexican Yerba Buena. It is an important ingredient that makes meatballs delicious. So, be sure not to skip it! If fresh mint isn't available, feel free to substitute it with dried mint.
    Mexican Meatballs Soup
    • Fresh parsley
    • Uncooked white rice (In this recipe, I used Jasmine)
    • Egg
    • Dried oregano
    • Cumin powder
    • Onion powder (or fresh onion)
    • Garlic
    • Yellow onion
    Albondigas Soup
    • Broth (You can use chicken, beef, or vegetable). In this recipe, I used chicken broth.
    • Carrots
    • Potatoes - Use potatoes that are low-starch and high-moisture hold together better in the soup, such as red or Yukon gold potatoes. Also, Also, make sure that you chop the potatoes into smaller pieces so they will be done at the same time as the meatballs.
    • Canned diced tomatoes with no salt or seasoning added.
    • Serrano peppers.
    sopa de albondigas recipe

    In order to keep meatballs from falling apart, you are going to mix in the egg and uncooked white rice with ground beef. The starch in rice helps foods hold together, no breadcrumbs needed!

    Now, let's talk about the preparation and cooking process!

    Here's how to make the Classic Mexican Albondigas soup

    • First, you need to soak the white rice in water for about 20 minutes. Rinse your rice and drain the water. Set aside.
    beef meatballs
    • Second, make the meatballs by combining the ground beef with chopped mint, chopped parsley, minced garlic, cumin powder, onion powder, cumin powder, dried oregano, egg, uncooked white rice, salt, and black pepper. Chill for at least 10 minutes in the fridge.
    meatballs mixture
    • Third, make the soup base. To start, saute the onion in oil for about 4 minutes then add jalapeno, stir for 1 minute, add garlic and stir just until fragrant.
    soup base
    • After that, add carrots and diced tomatoes, stir for about 1-2 minutes to get rid of any bitter or tinny tastes, and to concentrate their flavors.
    tomato based broth
    • Next, add chicken broth, water, potatoes, and meatballs. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
    meatballs and vegetables soup
    • Last, add chopped zucchini. Cover the pot and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked and vegetables are tender.
    Sopa de albondigas

    You can also cook this Albondigas soup in:

    • A slow cooker. Simply add carrots, potatoes, diced tomatoes, zucchini, onion, garlic, broth, and carefully dropped the meatballs into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
    • An Instant Pot. First, brown the meatballs in 2 tablespoons of oil for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Next, saute the onion, garlic, carrots, and diced tomatoes as mentioned above. After that, add the chicken broth, water, potatoes, and meatballs. Select Pressure Cook or Manual on High and set the cooking time for 3 minutes, wait 10 minutes to manually release the remaining pressure.
    best albondigas soup recipe

    CHECK MORE TASTY SOUP RECIPES:

    • HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
    • FRENCH ONION SOUP
    • CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER (STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED)
    • CAULIFLOWER SOUP (LOW-CARB)
    • BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP WITH HAM HOCK AND SPINACH
    • POTATO LEEK SOUP (NO FLOUR ADDED)
    • PEA SOUP – VEGETARIAN!
    • ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP
    • POTATO SOUP WITH BACON!
    • GREAT NORTHERN BEAN SOUP
    • ITALIAN SAUSAGE KALE SOUP
    • PRESSURE COOKER PUMPKIN SOUP
    • INSTANT POT CLAM CHOWDER


    Make-Ahead Meatballs 

    You can make the meatballs in advance. Store the raw meatballs in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours until ready to use. Or, freeze the meatballs on the parchment-lined baking sheet for 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Properly stored, they will maintain the best quality for 3 to 4 months but will remain safe beyond that time.

    Beef Meatball Soups with Vegetables

    How to Store the Leftovers:

    This Albondigas soup makes great leftovers and even tastes better the next day! Properly stored, cooked meatballs and vegetable soup will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. 

    Well, I really hope that you will enjoy this Caldo de Albondigas recipe! Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions!  And, If you try it, don’t forget to rate and leave a review on the recipe card/comment box below.

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    Albondigas Soup
    4.91 from 11 votes

    Albondigas Soup

    Rika
    This classic Mexican Meatballs soup is so delicious and easy to make. It's the perfect comfort food to make on a cold or rainy day.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Course Main Dish, Soup
    Cuisine American, Mexican
    Servings 6
    Calories 387 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    For Meatballs:

    • 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey , (recommended 80% lean / 20% fat)
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh spearmint, (lightly packed) - or use about 2 teaspoon dried mint
    • ¼ cup chopped parsley , (lightly packed)
    • ½ cup uncooked white rice
    • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1¼ teaspoon cumin powder
    • 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1¼ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper

    For Soup:

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1½ cups diced yellow onion
    • 3 serrano peppers, (seeded and chopped) Or use 1 small poblano pepper
    • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • 2 cups water
    • 2 carrots, (peeled and diced)
    • 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, (no seasoning and no salt added)
    • 8 oz small red or Yukon gold potatoes, (cut into 6 pieces each, or cut in half if you are using baby potatoes)
    • 1 zucchini , (diced)

    Instructions
     

    • Soak the rice in water for 20 minutes, rinse and drain. In a large bowl, mix all the meatballs ingredients just until everything is combined (do not over mix) then chill for at least 10 minutes in the fridge. Use a cookie scoop to grab some raw meat then gently roll between your hands to make perfectly-sized uniform meatballs.
    • Heat oil in a large Dutch oven at medium heat. Sauté onion for 4 minutes, add serrano peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
    • Add carrots, and diced tomatoes. Stir for 2 minutes.
    • Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, and meatballs. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
    • Add zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
    • Adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper, or a dash of cayenne pepper if needed.

    Video

    Notes

    Use 80% lean / 20% fat ground meat to ensure that your meatballs stay juicy. Or, use 90% or 93% lean if you want to limit your saturated fat intake and don’t want to skim off the fat that rises to the top of the soup.
    Remember to soak the uncooked white rice in cold water for 20 minutes before adding it into the mixture.

    Nutrition

    Sodium: 1257mgCalcium: 99mgVitamin C: 36mgVitamin A: 3913IUSugar: 6gFiber: 4gPotassium: 919mgCholesterol: 81mgCalories: 387kcalSaturated Fat: 7gFat: 22gProtein: 18gCarbohydrates: 31gIron: 4mg
    Keyword Albondigas Soup, Caldo de Albondigas, Mexican Meatball Soup
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Priya Lakshminarayan

      December 06, 2020 at 9:12 pm

      5 stars
      This looks super comforting..I am going to make this soon

    2. Anjali

      December 06, 2020 at 10:49 pm

      5 stars
      This soup looks so warm and comforting - perfect for winter!

    3. Dannii

      December 07, 2020 at 12:33 am

      5 stars
      This reminds me of eating tapas in Barcelona.

    4. Gina

      December 07, 2020 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      Love how hearty and filling the meatballs make this soup recipe. Such a great one to enjoy all winter long!

    5. Maria

      December 09, 2020 at 2:05 am

      5 stars
      This looks like a perfect hearty rainy-day or sick-day meal. I will definitely try making this, especially now that it's getting a lot colder.

    6. Rika

      December 20, 2020 at 12:33 pm

      I agree! It's the perfect soup to enjoy all winter long!

    7. Rika

      December 20, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      Thanks, Dani! I've been to Barcelona twice and really enjoyed the tapas!

    8. Rika

      December 20, 2020 at 12:36 pm

      It sounds like a great plan, Maria!

    9. Rika

      December 20, 2020 at 1:33 pm

      Thanks for sharing your feedback, Gina!

    10. Nikki

      January 20, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      Hi! Do you think I could substitute brown rice instead? If so, do you know the time conversion? I think brown rice takes a little longer to cook.

    11. Rika

      January 20, 2021 at 5:59 pm

      Hi Nikki,

      Sure, you can substitute the white rice with brown rice or quinoa. Don't forget to soak the brown rice for 20 minutes and it may take up to an hour for the brown rice to be fully cooked.
      Another option is to use about 3/4 cup of cooked brown rice or cooked quinoa for a faster cooking time. Please note that substituting the ingredients may alter the taste and texture. I haven’t tried this recipe with brown rice but I've had meatballs with quinoa/brown rice inside before. Let me know how it goes!

    12. Bridget

      February 01, 2021 at 1:09 pm

      4 stars
      So delicious! Easy prep. I used ground chicken because it is how my Mom would make it. This recipe is a keeper 😊

    13. Rika

      February 01, 2021 at 3:16 pm

      I love chicken meatballs too! Thanks for sharing your feedback, Bridget!

      Best,

      Rika

    14. Esmi

      November 21, 2021 at 4:13 pm

      Do you have a recomendation to make ahead? Like a day or 2 before?

    15. Rika

      November 21, 2021 at 5:44 pm

      Hi Esmi,

      Yes, you can make this meatballs soup in advance.
      (1) Prepare the raw meatballs in advance and use within 24 hours or freeze them to extend the shelf life.
      (2) Or prepare the meatballs (step 1) and cook the soup base up to 2 days in advance. Reheat the soup and cook the meatballs, potatoes, then zucchinis right before serving.
      (3) Or prepare the meatballs (step 1) then cook all of the ingredients using a slow cooker on a low setting for 6 hours. You may need to brown the meatballs first before adding them to the slow cooker.

      Please let me know if you still have any questions.

      Best,

      Rika

    16. Mable

      January 25, 2022 at 11:41 am

      I made this recipe for Christmas eve along with a couple other soup recipes. It was delicious, everyone raved about it. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing.

    17. Rika

      January 25, 2022 at 11:57 am

      Hi Mable,

      Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to share your feedback. I truly appreciate it! I am glad that everyone at your dinner table enjoyed it.

      Best,

      Rika

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