Albondigas Soup

Albondigas soup is made with beef and rice meatballs, potatoes, vegetables, tomatoes and onions. It’s super flavorful, hearty and the perfect dish to warm you up on a chilly day. 

This recipe is similar to my classic meatball soup, but with a Mexican twist. We love Mexican food, so it’s no surprise that my whole family loved this dish. It’s loaded with flavor and is so comforting and delicious. It tastes amazing served with a warm piece of Mexican cornbread.

Albondigas soup (aka Mexican meatball soup) is a classic Mexican soup recipe that’s full of flavor. The delicious homemade meatballs are the star of the show and give the soup that hearty and comforting taste.

This recipe does take a little more work, but I promise it is worth it. The meatballs are SO flavorful and definitely make the soup. They remind me of porcupine meatballs with an extra kick.

How to make albondigas soup

Meatballs

1. Mix. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until well combined.
2. Roll. Scoop the meatballs with a small cookie scoop (or Tablespoon) and roll into balls. Then place on a lined baking sheet.
3. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Do not cook all the way…they will finish cooking in the soup.

Soup

1. Saute. Saute the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in a large pot over medium-heat for about 3-5 minutes.
2. Simmer. Add in the potatoes, broth, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and oregano. S&P to taste. Bring to a light simmer, then cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Add meatballs. One by one, add the meatballs into the soup. Mix in the cilantro and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and potatoes are tender.
4. Serve. Ladle into bowls and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Variations

• You can mix up the vegetables in this soup depending on what is in season. Some other vegetables we like to add are green beans, corn, peas, cabbage and/or zucchini.
• To lighten up this dish, you can make turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs instead of beef.
• For extra juicy meatballs you could also use half pork and half ground beef.
• Add more chili powder or cumin for an extra kick of spice.

Toppings

• Cilantro
• Sliced avocado
• Tomatoes
• Lime juice
• Cheese
• Sour cream

More Mexican soup recipes:

• Best Taco Soup
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Mexican Chicken Soup
• Stuffed Pepper Soup

Albondigas Soup Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: albondigas soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 320

Author: Jamielyn Nye

Albondigas soup is made with beef and rice meatballs, potatoes, vegetables, tomatoes and onions. It's super flavorful, hearty and the perfect dish to warm you up on a chilly day. 

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Ingredients

Prepare Meatballs:

• 1 pound 80% ground beef
• 1/4 cup long grain white rice
• 1 large egg , whisked
• 1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2-3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro , optional

Make soup:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/2 Tablespoon garlic
• 2 small russet potatoes , about 1-1/2 cups
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 32 ounces chicken or beef broth
• 14 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder , more to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro , more to taste

S&P to taste

Optional toppings: cilantro, avocados, tomatoes, lime juice, cheese, sour cream

Instructions

How to make meatballs

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
• Combine the beef, rice, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cilantro to a bowl. Mix until well combined (you will need to use your hands). Then use a small cookie scoop or Tablespoon and roll the meatballs. Place on pan. You should have about 30 mini meatballs.
• Bake for 10 minutes. You don't want to cook them all the way, they will finish cooking in the soup.

For the soup

• While the meatballs are cooking, add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-heat. Then add in onions and cook for 3 minutes. Next add the garlic, carrots and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
• Next add in the potatoes, broth, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a light simmer on medium-low, stirring occasionally. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Then add the meatballs one by one (don't transfer grease from the pan) and cilantro to the soup and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until cooked through and potatoes are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Add more chili powder or cumin for additional kick.
• Ladle into bowls and enjoy with fresh cilantro on top if desired.

Video

Notes

You can mix up the vegetables in this soup depending on what is in season. Some other vegetables we like to add are green beans, corn, peas and/or zucchini.

Feel free to use ground turkey for a lighter option. 

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 1041mg | Potassium: 769mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2364IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 4mg

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