Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)
Posted: 11/30/21
Updated: 11/21/22
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This Mexican-inspired albondigas soup is ultra wholesome and comforting! Tender, flavorful meatballs swim in a tomato broth with plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables. This entire soup comes together in only a few simple steps, perfect for an easy one-pot dinner.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s the perfect meal for a chilly night! This cozy soup will warm you from the inside, out. Though with plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables, it won’t leave you feeling weighed down.
- It’s a complete, healthy meal in one! This albondigas soup is packed with good-for-you ingredients. The variety of vegetables fill you up with nutrients, while the Mexican meatballs yield plenty of lean protein.
- It’s surprisingly quick and easy to make! Simply sauté the aromatics before bringing the rest of the soup ingredients to a simmer. While those flavors develop, assemble your meatballs before dropping them in and leaving everything to cook, untouched, for just 20 minutes!
Key Ingredients
Chicken or Beef Stock – The stock is the base of this albondigas soup, and either chicken or beef will taste delicious. I used chicken in this recipe, and it gave it the perfect amount of savory flavor. However, beef stock is a bit more intense and would contribute an ever deeper flavor that is just as incredible.
Ground Beef – I recommend at least 80% lean ground beef for this recipe. If you can get 90% or higher – even better! And if you prefer, you can use ground turkey or chicken instead.
White Rice – Traditionally, the meatballs in this soup are made with raw white rice. However, if you don’t enjoy that extra bit of crunchy texture, you can use cooked white rice instead. I prefer the nice bite raw rice gives the meatballs. Also, it’s important to note that the rice will get slightly cooked with everything else in the soup.
Chef’s Tips
- Feel free to switch up the vegetables in this soup! You can swap in any fresh veggies you either have on-hand, or whatever’s in season at the time. This albondigas soup is a great way to use up any leftover vegetables you might have lying around!
- Some recipes include 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves in with the meatball mixture. This is definitely an optional add-in you’re free to use in this recipe! Though keep in mind, mint is a pretty intense flavor and will come through strongly in this dish.
- You can easily freeze any leftover soup! To do this, transfer soup to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to three months. Once ready to eat, simply thaw soup in the fridge, then heat in a large pot over medium heat until warm throughout.
Other Cozy Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)
This Mexican-inspired albondigas soup is ultra wholesome and comforting! Tender, flavorful meatballs swim in a tomato broth with plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables. This entire soup comes together in only a few simple steps, perfect for an easy one-pot dinner.
servings
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 quart chicken stock or beef stock
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes undrained
- 1 cup white potatoes peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef see Notes
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup uncooked white rice see Notes
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large bowl
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic, cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken or beef stock along with the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. Add in chopped potatoes and carrots, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Mix together all meatball ingredients in a large bowl until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Roll mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
- Drop meatballs into simmering soup one at a time. Cover pot with lid and leave soup to simmer for 20 minutes, then serve with fresh chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Ground Beef: You can use ground turkey or chicken in place of the ground beef in this recipe.
- White Rice: The rice does not need to be cooked beforehand for this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 503kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 1777mg, Potassium: 1605mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 8265IU, Vitamin C: 32mg, Calcium: 117mg, Iron: 6mg, Net Carbs: 41g
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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