Albondigas Soup
Albondigas Soup. A hearty, flavorful Mexican meatball soup with juicy rice and beef meatballs simmered in a tasty tomato-based broth. Carrots, potatoes, and zucchini make it a one-pot meal the whole family will love.
This fantastic meal in a pot is ideal for the next New Year’s celebration, Cinco de Mayo, or crazy weeknight. Meatballs have a charm that makes them great year-round. Italian wedding soup and Swedish meatballs are just two examples. Traditional Mexican cuisine has to include an albondigas soup recipe.
Content…What Are Albondigas? |
What Is Albondigas Soup?
Albondigas is simply the Spanish word for meatballs. What makes this version unique is that it uses rice as a binding agent instead of bread crumbs. So, break out the stock pot and enjoy genuine Mexican comfort food.
The Shopping List
- Lean Ground Beef is the base for these huge meatballs. Replacing half of the ground beef with ground pork will be just as good, though higher in fat. Ground turkey will give you a delicious and lower-fat version.
- Cooked Rice – An ideal way to use up leftover rice and a naturally gluten-free filler for your meatballs.
- Seasonings – Garlic, onions, fresh cilantro or parsley, cumin, S&P, oregano, and paprika deliver the classic Mexican flavors. Some love adding a pinch of minced fresh mint for an authentic flavor.
- Egg – Another binder that keeps the meatballs from falling apart.
- Soup Base – Beef broth and tomato paste seasoned with cumin, oregano, chicken bouillon, and smoked paprika create a flavorful broth that’s great on its own.
- Veggies – Onions, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, and potatoes turn this classic into a true one-pot meal. Green beans and leeks are other nice additions.
- Garnish – Cilantro and lime wedges to add a squeeze of fresh lime juice are the crowning finishing touches. Feel free to add red pepper flakes to kick up the heat.
How to Make Albondigas Soup
- Mix – In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, garlic, egg, cilantro, onions, and spices with your hands until thoroughly mixed. A large mixing spoon will work, but it’s not as much fun. (Photos 1-2)
- Roll out the meatballs using your hands. Mexican meatballs run larger than your standard size, so you should have 14-16 meatballs total. Set on a plate and set aside. (Photo 3)
- Saute – Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then, add onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and zucchini and saute for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Photos 4-5)
- Soup Base – Add the broth, tomato paste or sauce, cumin, oregano, chicken bouillon, and paprika. Add the potatoes and bring it all to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes. (Photos 6-7)
- Meatballs – After the broth has achieved a low simmer, gently place the meatballs into the broth one by one so the broth doesn’t splash. Simmer for another 10-12 minutes. (Photo 8)
- Serve – Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, corn tortillas, and hot sauce.
Recipe Notes
- Adding a teaspoon of ground chipotle powder adds smokey heat for more delish
- Many Latin grocers sell frozen albondigas for a shortcut to delicious soup
Making Ahead and Leftover Storage
The wonderful thing about most soups is they taste even better the day after. Another hack to faster meals is to make a double batch of meatballs and freeze half of them for later. They’ll last in the freezer for a month or two.
Leftovers last 3-5 days in the fridge and reheat quickly in a saucepan or microwave.
Perfect Pairings for Albondigas Soup
A refreshing coleslaw complements any hearty soup. While most Mexican families enjoy corn tortillas with this recipe, I like my homemade flour tortillas. And you can’t forget sliced avocadoes and salsa. Try a tall glass of horchata to wash it all down.
A radish salad that is a regular on the dinner table is easy to make. Thinly slice a few whole radishes, add chopped cilantro, squeeze in the juice of one lime, add a pinch of salt and pepper, mix well, and serve on the side. Some people add thinly sliced cucumbers, too.
More Glorious Soup Recipes to Warm You Up
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Beef Barley Soup
- Hamburger Vegetable Soup
This blog post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Albondigas Soup
Ingredients
Mexican Meatballs
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef (or half ground pork and ground beef— I used 90% lean)
- ½ cup (100g) cooked white rice
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (4g) chopped cilantro or parsley
- ¼ cup (24g) minced onions
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon (6g) salt
- ½-1 teaspoon (1-2g) black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (2g) ground oregano
- 1 teaspoon (2g) paprika
The Soup
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon (9-10g) minced garlic
- 1 large stalk celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2-3 carrots, peeled, quartered, and sliced (1½-2 cups)
- 1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced (1½-2 cups)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6-7 cups (1.5-2l) beef broth or water
- 3 tablespoons (45g) tomato paste or an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon (1-2g) dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon (1g) chicken bouillon
- ½ tablespoon (3.5g) smoked paprika
- 1½ cups (183g) potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces (2 large potatoes)
- ¼ cup (4g) fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, rice, garlic, egg, cilantro, onions, and spices with your hands until thoroughly mixed.
- Roll the meatballs using your hands. You should have around 14-16 largish meatballs. Set on a plate and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, salt, and pepper. Adjust amounts to taste.
- Add broth, tomato paste or sauce, cumin, oregano, chicken bouillon, and paprika. Follow with the potato chunks. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes.
- Carefully add the meatballs one at a time to the broth, being careful not to splash the hot broth. Simmer for 10-12 minutes more.
- Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with toasted bread and rice.
Tips & Notes:
- Adding a teaspoon of ground chipotle powder adds smokey heat for more delish
- Many Latin grocers sell frozen albondigas for a shortcut to delicious soup
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition Information:
Loved this recipe and so did my guest
I’m so happy to know that, Diane! Thank you for giving this a try 🙂
it’s easy and delicious.
I don’t have a Dutch oven. Is it necessary? Debating on running out to get one.
No it is not .Any sauce pan would do just fine.
As someone who makes albondigas frequently this is an excellent recipe. I wanted to try a new recipe with more spices than I normally use and wow I loved it.
Am so thrilled ! Thanks so much.
I’ve seriously tried every version of this soup I can find and this is my tried and true favorite. It’s definitely become a comfort food for me, and a fave of the entire family. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Am So thrilled ! Thanks
It was delicious and very comforting. It tastes like a delicious homemade comfort food.
Agree! Sooo Comforting this time of the year.
This recipe is amazing! I have yet to make it for anyone that doesn’t rave about it. I made 4 pounds of the meatballs last weekend so I have them on hand to whip up this soup at a moments notice. Love, love this so much!
This meal was a delicious recipe and one that is different from what I usually cook. Not only was it light and could easily give you your “five a day” with the vegetables, but it would work in either summer or winter. Down in Australia, Mexican is misunderstood and hard-to-find – you would be hard-pressed finding this lovely soup on a menu here.
While I have had to make a soup at a soup kitchen several times before, this was the first I made one independently in my own house. Plus, I made a few too many meatballs and have got some good portions for another meal. Additionally, I substituted the potato for sweet potato (something I always do, it is a preference) while making this.
Would certainly recommend.
I have a question. Do you peel the potatoes? I’m going to make this today using 1/2 ground turkey and 1/2 ground pork. So excited! It looks amazing.
Yes , I do Lynn. You are going to love it . Thanks .
This soup is delicious my wife daughter loves it and so do I Five stars
YAY! Thank you so much!!!
Made this great soup with turkey and it came out wonderful! My husband inhaled this and couldn’t get enough of this soup. Rivals your Tortilla soup for sure! 🙂
Let me start by saying. I make all of your recipes…Caribbean rice, African soup jollof rice all favs.. love it love it…can I use ground turkey for this recipe? What tips so it won’t be dry? Would love to see Panamanian dishes as well
Hi Tamira. I don’t see why you can’t use Turkey. You would have to make sure you do not overcook it so it doesn’t dry out. I would definitely be getting round to cooking some Panamanian dishes soon. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
vegetarian house over here! butI’m going to make the broth and maybe chuck in some seasoned pan-seared portabellos…yum
That sounds Delicious! Thanks for sharing!!!
I saw this recipe in the morning and made it that afternoon! My son and husband helped with prep and we all raved about how good it was! The meatballs were juicy and well seasoned and all the vegetables were just what we needed after all the holiday junk eating. I used Rotel tomatoes with lime and cilantro in place of the tomato paste or tomato sauce and it worked just as well. This is a perfect rainy day soup that will warm your heart!
Happy New Year Carol! Glad to hear it was a hit with the family. Thanks for taking time out to provide feedback.
I am going to make it tomorrow, I have all the ingredients. I will make sure I have bread and rice! Thanks Imma