Mexico Meatball Soup (Albondigas Soup):
A traditional Mexican soup consisting of chicken stock, beans, green onions, and meatballs (albondigas). The whole family loves this dish for excellent soup. Let see how to cook the Mexico Meatball Soup (Albondigas Soup).
A classic Mexican meatball soup (the word “albondigas” means “meatballs” in Spanish), for the entire family for over fifty years now. This is how we define comfort food.
This meatball soup is perfect for the harshest winter days when it provides a little extra comfort, thanks to its silky tomatoes broth and spicy Italian-style meatballs. My inspiration came from traditional Mexican wedding soup, which has tiny, delicate meatballs with an aromatic foundation consisting of onion, carrots, and carrot. However, I made a few personal adjustments.
I immediately broil my meatballs in order to get a crust that is golden brown. This keeps the core moist and soft while caramelizing the outside. Although it might seem like an unnecessary step, the flavor richness that results is well worth it! The comforting sense of “mom’s chicken noodle soup” is enhanced by tiny pasta. With canned tomatoes added to the broth, everything simmers to create a thick, stew-like texture without requiring an hour or more of cooking.
Albondigas Soup: What Is It?
Sautéed onions, garlic, stock, and tomatoes provide a basic soup base. You place meatballs cooked with rice and ground turkey or beef into the simmering broth. The meat produces more broth on its own. Peas, carrots, and green beans are frequently included in soups.
The Ingredient That’s Hidden:
The mint chopped in the meatballs in albondigas soup gives it a unique flavor. When I mentioned to a friend of mine who is a Mexican chef that his cookbook’s albondigas stew recipe didn’t include mint, he looked at me startled and exclaimed.
Naturally, you may omit the mint and replace it with some fresh oregano or cilantro, but in my opinion, the soup wouldn’t taste identically without it. Additionally, you may change up the vegetables you add according to what’s in season as well as what you currently have on hand. You can use minced beef, chicken, or turkeys for your ground meat. Meatballs are held together by the egg.
Parmesan:
Parmesan adds umami flavor to the meatballs and serves as a garnish. Although lactose content is minimal, you can exclude it to make the soup dairy-free.
Breadcrumbs:
Add some texture and prevent meatballs from drying out. If you’d like, use gluten-free breadcrumbs or an unsalted version like Panko.
Seasonings:
The broth and meatball have a rich, aromatic flavor thanks to the use of dried oregano, spicy Spanish paprika and and fresh parsley. Before serving, add some red pepper flakes to give the soup an extra kick of flavor. Salt and pepper also improve the flavor.
Additional virgin olive oil:
Provides structure and flavor to the meatballs.
Fresh vegetables:
The base ingredients of a traditional handmade soup are onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. For the garlic, I provided a range. Use three garlic to flavor the meatballs and two cloves in the gravy if you’re a true garlic enthusiast.
Beef, chicken (from scratch or from the store), and vegetarian stock or broth are all excellent choices for this soup; beef is the most nutrient-dense. I included a range; if you prefer your food a little runnier, add additional broth. For a less expensive option, you may even mix 1-2 cups of drinking water with a 32-ounce container of broth; the result will be slightly lighter.
Mexico Meatball Soup (Albondigas Soup):
15 Minutes for preparation
45 Minutes for cooking
60 Minutes in total
Servings : 7 to 9 Persons
For the mint in this soup, use peppermint or Mexican yerba buena, not peppermint. Frequently, my mom adds a few extra teaspoons of finely chopped fresh mint straight to the soup. If you can’t find fresh mint, you can substitute a few tablespoons of dried peppermint from herbal peppermint tea.
You can switch up the veggies according to what you happen to have on hand. For example, use spring peas within the pods rather than shucked peas. Alternately, you may chop some fresh corn or zucchini.
Ingredients for Mexico Meatball Soup (Albondigas Soup):
2 Teaspoons pure olive oil
1 Large onion, finely sliced
1 Minced garlic clove
2 Quarts of beef or chicken stock
1 Quart of water
Tomato sauce, 1/2 cup
Cut 1/2 pound of green beans into 1-inch chunks after removing the threads and ends.
2 Large carrots, cut into slices and peeled
1/3 Cup of white rice
1 Pound of ground beef
1/4 Cup, packed loosely with freshly cut spearmint leaves
1/4 Cup, packed loosely chopped parsley, fresh
1 And a half teaspoons salt plus additional to taste
Add extra to taste and use 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
3 Eggs
2 And a half cups fresh or frozen peas
1 Tablespoon of freshly chopped oregano or one teaspoon of dried oregano
2 Dash of optional cayenne
1/2 Cup of freshly chopped cilantro
Method for Mexico Meatball Soup (Albondigas Soup):
Prepare the soup’s foundation. In a big 5-quart saucepan with a heavy bottom, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion to the saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Cook for another minute after adding the garlic.
Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and stock. After bringing to a boil, lower the temperature to a gentle simmer. Add the carrots and green beans.
Get the Mexico Meatball Soup (Albondigas Soup) ready:
In a big bowl, combine the meat with the raw rice, parsley, spearmint leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir in the uncooked egg. Create 1-inch meatballs out of the mixture.
One meatball at a time, gently add them to the soup, allow it to boil, and then add the peas. After covering, simmer for thirty minutes.
When the cooking is almost done, add the beans. A few teaspoons of oregano, salt, pepper, and a tiny amount of cayenne should be added according to taste. To serve, ladle into plates and garnish with freshly cut cilantro.
Nutrition Facts:
Servings: 6–8 items per portion Calories
Daily Value: 297% 16g of total fat 5g of 20% saturated fat 24% cholesterol (77 mg) 26% Sodium (740 mg)17g of total carbohydrates (32%).6% Dietary Fiber (four grams)
13% of Total Sugars (6 g) 22g of protein eleven milligrams of vitamin C57% Calcium (67 mg)5% Iron (3 mg) 18% potassium (564 mg) 12 percent
The percentage Daily Value (DV) indicates the amount of a nutrient that a food portion provides for your daily intake. The recommended daily intake of calories for general nutrition is 2,000.
