Albondigas Soup
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.
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 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1¼ teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Soup:
- 2 tablespoons 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
Calories: 387kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 18gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1257mgPotassium: 919mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3913IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 4mg
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