Table of Contents

Our Albondigas was recreated based on the famous soup our Great Grandma would make!! After decades of trying to recreate it, we used our mom and aunts together to fine tune it and make it just like she did. The result? PERFECTION!

Albondigas is Spanish for “meatballs”. It’s also known as Caldo de Albóndigas but its origin goes back to Spain and has some Arabic influences. Great Grandma’s traditional Mexican meatball soup has a flavorful broth base and is filled with tomatoes, veggies, and homemade meatballs (filled with spices and rice).

Our hearty Mexican-spiced soup has been enjoyed for generations, and we guarantee you’ll enjoy it as well.

  • Yummy + hearty. Just like Great Grandma made – delicious and hearty with meatballs and veggies.
  • Perfectly spiced! The flavors are perfection, but you can easily adjust the spice level to your liking or make it even more filling by adding more veggies!
  • Perfect with so many dishes. We love to have this soup with so many recipes, including our Chicken Tacos, Flour Tortillas, Chips + Salsa.
  • 1 pound ground beef – For more flavor use fattier meats (80/20 or 70/30). Lean ground beef tends to fall apart more easily.
    • Substitute half of the ground beef with pork sausage. Or use ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
  • 1 whole egg – binds the ingredients together
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic – 4-6 fresh garlic cloves make 2 teaspoons, see How to Mince Garlic
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup cooked rice – Adds texture and acts as a binder.
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil. Browning the meatballs first will help them keep their shape.
  • 4 cups chicken broth – or chicken stock, beef broth, or vegetable broth
  • ½ cup sliced carrots (1 – 2 large carrots)
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes or 2 cups of peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 potato Red and white potatoes tend to hold their shape while russets are softer and create a creamier soup. Yukon Golds are in between. See our Types of Potatoes and When to Use Them post.
  • salt & black pepper season to taste
  • extra veggies (optional) – chopped onions, diced zucchini, green beans, or peas
  • toppings (optional) – a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocados, or lime wedges
  • additional vegetables – zucchini, corn, green beans and even kale are also great additions to albondigas soup
  1. MEATBALLS. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, beaten egg, minced garlic, chopped cilantro , cumin, salt, pepper, and cooked rice.
    • Form 20-24 tight meatballs by rolling between your palms (we made ours about 1-inch – 1½ inches wide and used a cookie scoop to make sure the meatballs were the same size and cooked evenly). Brown on all sides in a hot pan over medium heat with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for a few minutes. Set aside.
  2. SOUP. In a large pot, combine chicken broth, sliced carrots, chopped celery stalk, diced tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and fresh cilantro leaves.
    • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce heat to a mild simmer for 10 minutes. Drop meatballs and 1 diced potato in the soup and slightly boil so that the meatballs cook quickly. Return to simmer and cook another 20 minutes.
  3. SERVE. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy warm topped with some fresh parsley (if desired). We also love to serve this with fresh warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas.
  • Use 80/20 ground beef for the most flavorful meatballs. You could use frozen or pre-made meatballs as well.
  • Traditional albondigas soup has fresh mint in the meatballs, feel free to add instead of cilantro.
  • To keep the meatballs from falling apart be sure to brown them in a skillet first.
  • Cut all the vegetables about the same size so they cook evenly.

Crock Pot Directions:

  • Add all of your ingredients (except for the cilantro) to your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 4 hours.
  • Add cilantro at the very end and salt and pepper if needed.
A soup pot filled with Albondigas soup.
5 from 352 votes

Albondigas Soup Recipe

Handed down for generations, there's nothing better than Great Grandma's famous albondigas soup!
Servings: 6
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 55 minutes

Ingredients 

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup cooked rice, optional
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Soup

  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • ½ carrot, sliced
  • 1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
  • 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 potato, diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

Meatballs

  • In a large bowl, combine 1 pound ground beef, 1 beaten egg, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ cup cooked rice.
  • Form 20-24 tight meatballs by rolling between your palms (we made ours about 1½ inches wide). Brown on all sides in a hot pan over medium heat with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for a few minutes. Set aside.

Soup

  • In a large pot, combine 4 cups chicken broth, ½ carrot sliced, 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, and ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves.
  • Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a mild simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Drop meatballs and 1 diced potato in the soup and slightly boil so that the meatballs cook quickly. Return to simmer and cook another 20 minutes.
  • Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy warm topped with some fresh parsley (if desired).

Video

Notes

Recipe tips.
  • Use 80/20 ground beef for the most flavorful meatballs. You could use frozen or pre-made meatballs.
  • Traditional albondigas soup has fresh mint in the meatballs, feel free to add instead of cilantro.
  • To keep the meatballs from falling apart be sure to brown them in skillet first.
  • Cut all the vegetables about the same size so they cook evenly.
Store. Let cool, and store in an airtight container(s) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or place in a freeze bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 
To reheat, let thaw in the fridge overnight and return to the stove. Cook until heated through. You can microwave it as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 317mg, Potassium: 549mg, Fiber: 1g, Vitamin A: 1100IU, Vitamin C: 5.5mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 3.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Soup variations?

> Additional vegetables: zucchini, corn, green beans and kale are also great additions to the soup
> Fresh herbs can be substituted for dry herbs and vice versa; 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs equals 1 teaspoon of dry herbs. 
> While authentic soup isn’t spicy, you can add heat to the soup using hot sauce, chili powder, sliced jalapeños, or red chili flakes.
> Thicken the soup with tomato sauce or tomato paste, or by adding white rice. Use russet potatoes and then mash a few once they’re cooked through.

How to store Albondigas?

Let cool, and store in an airtight container(s) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or place in a freeze bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 
To reheat, let thaw in the fridge overnight and return to the stove. Cook until heated through. You can microwave it as well.

Sides

Desserts

Mexican Soups

Collections

This recipe was originally published October 2018.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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5 from 352 votes (265 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




175 Comments

  1. Maria says:

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe.

  2. Patty Richardson says:

    5 stars
    I made this recipe exactly as stated. It is delicious! I recently asked my local Mexican food restaurant for their recipe which they would not give me 🙁 This is really close! Love it and thank you so much!

  3. Rae says:

    5 stars
    This soup was absolutely delicious. Adding the sour cream and avocado was an amazing finishing touch. Topped it off with some homemade fermented pepper hot sauce. Also added some cayenne pepper to the meatballs and hot salsa to the cooking rice. What a fantastic dinner soup; it will be my go to for albondigas from now on

  4. Mike says:

    Quick question…why use cooked rice in the meatballs rather than uncooked which lets the rice soak up the flavour from the soup?

  5. Terry walsh says:

    5 stars
    The soup was delicious and easy to make. I don’t usually follow recipes exactly but I did this one. My only complaint was the meatballs. They did not stay together as well as I wanted. I used Waygu ground beef so it might have been too lean. In the future, I’ll cook the meatballs in the oven on a wire rack before putting in the soup. Thanks for sharing.

  6. Sasha Hurtado says:

    5 stars
    I loved how this recipe browns the meatballs first before dropping them in the soup broth.

  7. Kathy says:

    5 stars
    Made it, and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! So flavorful, so comforting, and so easy. Definitely will be on repeat at my house. Thank you!

  8. CheriAn Bennett says:

    5 stars
    This soup is simple, yet very flavorful! It’s easy to make and doesn’t take long. Those are very important in my life right now. We love this soup! I like to double, or even triple the amount of celery and carrots I put in it though. After I make it, I always remember that I want to try adding zucchini in it as well. I think that would be wonderful!

  9. Gail Martin says:

    5 stars
    This soup is so good. I brought some to my son and he said he thought he was going to have leftovers but it was so good he slurped it all up. That’s a good complement.

  10. Alice says:

    5 stars
    This soup was easy to make and was very yummy! The only thing I did differently was to add an extra pinch of cumin to both the meatballs and the soup. Everyone loved it and wanted seconds! I will definitely make it again and will double the recipe.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yay! So glad to hear that. Thanks for sharing what you did!

  11. Ana Montgomery says:

    5 stars
    Love your recipe and ours came out absolutely delicious. Thank you ! Great for a cold day here in Orange County, California.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I’m so glad you loved the soup!! Thanks for giving it a try!

      1. Deborah says:

        Simple, flexible, seasoning accurate for flavors expected. Love it.

  12. Maggie says:

    5 stars
    Excellent.

  13. Kyu says:

    5 stars
    Recipe is really good, added a couple of others spices and it was amazing

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      So glad you enjoyed the soup!

      1. Shawna Palmer says:

        5 stars
        Absolutely delicious. Super flavorful. Tastes like I bought it from a high end Mexican restaurant. Can’t wait to try your other recipes.

      2. Lil'Luna Team says:

        I’m so happy to hear you liked the soup and to have you here trying out recipes. Hope you enjoy the others you will try!

  14. Joe says:

    I know this may sound silly, but could you use frozen meatballs instead just to make it super simple for us inept chefs out here? Thanks.

    1. Annie Marie says:

      Then that would not be an albondiga soup, that is more of a meatball soup sir
      !

    2. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You could! You won’t quite get the same flavors and texture as these homemade ones, but if you needed to simplify or were in a rush, you could use frozen.

  15. Matt White says:

    5 stars
    Yummy to the tummy

  16. Shanie Messenger says:

    5 stars
    Yummy yummy in my tummy. I made the albondigas a couple weeks ago after seeing this very delicious recipe, it was really easy for me to follow along and get it just right! It was exactly what I had been craving soup I grew up eating that my naniera used to cook for me.( I hope I spelled that word right I was trying to say babysitter in Spanish LOL. Everybody loved what I had cooked, it was like a big giant warm hug for everyone. I try to make my homemade flour tortillas with it but they didn’t come out so well I’m recovering from a hand surgery so I think I didn’t roll them out thin enough! My hand is healing so next time I make this delicious albondigas I’ll try lil Lunas tortillas again!! Thank you for taking me back to my childhood.

  17. Mary Lucille Luna de Cortez says:

    I did not receive the receipt for abondigas but just needed a refresher on the receipt my mom made it all the time and I have made it before and today I want to make it. My last name from my father is Luna. I have always love this Mexican soup. Thanks for the refresher I be making it today.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Oh that’s awesome! Hope you enjoy the recipe!

  18. GD says:

    If I make the soup in a crockpot, do I add the meatballs uncooked? Thanks!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I would still brown the meatballs like the recipe calls for, but then can add to the crockpot. That should help them not fall apart in the crock pot too as they cook.

  19. Ursula Goldsmith says:

    Can I use ground turkey instead of beef?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes!

  20. Carolina Neave says:

    5 stars
    Good

  21. Eric Wilkins says:

    5 stars
    Great flavor very authentic and really simple and easy. No cap!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      So glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Thanks for giving it a try!

    2. Christina says:

      Bet!

  22. Fred says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Thank you for sharing.

  23. Joy W says:

    Made this soup for Father’s day. My sons loved this soup when we lived in Tucson over 18 years ago. Found your recipe and they all loved it, including my husband! I added zucchini to it as well. Thanks for sharing.

  24. Lorena Garcia says:

    5 stars
    Outstanding! Used fire roasted diced tomatoes, 1/4 uncooked rice. Didn’t cook meatballs ahead of time, used small yellow potatoes

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing what you did!

  25. Sc says:

    5 stars
    Made for a friend post surgery.
    Baked meatball, held up better.
    Added roasted corn and zucchini.
    Served with crispy Jalapeños, street tortillas, and lime wedges. And Caramel flan for dessert
    Delicious!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yum!! That all sounds delicious!

  26. Camilla Coy says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I added a couple pinches of allspice to the meatballs. Sounds weird but, yum.

  27. Susan Franklin says:

    Chicken broth. That’s so weird! I want a meaty flavor not chickeny.
    I use beef broth and way more carrots and potatoes. And no rice in the broth.
    Very different. I suppose good , just not authentic.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      It is yummy! You could swap for beef broth if you’d prefer though.

  28. Maggs says:

    5 stars
    It came out delicious!

  29. Siara D says:

    Has anyone tried this with saffron?

  30. Ken Lichtsinn says:

    4 stars
    I like the idea of mixing cilantro into the meatballs but I wouldn’t cook the rest of the cilantro until just turning off the soup. The reason is, cilantro cooks away almost instantly and you won’t even know it’s there if you cook it but I’m thinking maybe the cilantro that’s in the meatballs would stay in the meatballs. I have 2 albondigas redcipes that are pretty much my own compiled from studying other people’s recipes and I don’t put cilantro in the meatballs. I’ll try that and see how it goes. Cilantro is my favorite herb and I find it difficult to put it into a recipe without it disappearing.

  31. Silvia Almanza says:

    5 stars
    Yummy very good and easy to make 10 stars 🌟

  32. Agathe says:

    5 stars
    It was really good basically a Mexican vegetable soup

  33. Kevin says:

    Under meatball tips, it says:

    Instead of breadcrumbs, use uncooked instant white rice, crushed crackers, crushed cornflakes, or rolled oats.
    Adding too many bread crumbs, or too few, can cause the meatballs to fall apart.

    But there are no breadcrumbs in the recipe. What am I missing?

  34. Kat Zamora says:

    5 stars
    Easy to follow recipe and tastes great.

  35. Cathy Depner says:

    5 stars
    I made the soup a few months ago. I had misplaced the recipe I usually make. Well, not only does my family love Lil Luna’s albondigas soup but I have shared the recipe with friends and other family and they love it too! Your recipes always give my food a new delicous flavor to food I have always made. Thank you.

  36. Ali says:

    5 stars
    My kids love the meatballs in this soup! It’s the perfect hearty one pot meal.

  37. Jessica says:

    5 stars
    This meatball soup is a great recipe to have on hand. And it’s easy to make!

  38. Katrina says:

    5 stars
    This soup is amazing! So much flavor and so easy to make!

  39. Karen says:

    5 stars
    This soup is delicious and easy to make. We love the Mexican flavors without it being too spicy.

  40. Carol says:

    5 stars
    Delicious—as a quick sub I used ptrmade frozen mearballs. My husband doesn’t like spicy foods or hot foods so the spices in this soup are perfect. Greatt for fall days–could serve with Mexican cornbread or tortillas,

  41. Bob says:

    Looks like Yolanda’s. I’m going to make it!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Hope you enjoy!!

  42. kenny stevens says:

    5 stars
    Looked so good I’m making it right now! Thanks for sharing.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome! Hope you enjoyed the soup!

  43. Crystal says:

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. My mom who used to make this when I was little loves it too. I put my own spin and add a little bit of spicy sausage to the meatballs because I like the flavor. Thank you!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Mmmm I bet the extra kick makes the soup so yummy. So glad you love the recipe!

  44. Amanda H says:

    5 stars
    This recipe turned out great! My husband andb3 sons (10, 8 & 2) all cleared their bowls!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Hooray!! We love to hear that! So glad the recipe was a hit.

  45. Leticia Guizar says:

    5 stars
    Best soup I’ve ever made 😋

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Aw thank you! I’m so glad you loved it!

  46. Steven says:

    5 stars
    This is my favorite starting point. I added poblano chilies finely chopped and twice the chopped garlic to the hamburger and I added 1 half a roll of rosemary sausage and I added some finely chopped cilantro as well. I did not use tomatoes or cumin. I did add red onion as well. I generally quick pot a bunch of chicken before I make this so that I’m starting with fresh broth. My total volume is around 12 ounces of fluid. I add 4 cups of store bought chicken broth to the pot along with stringed red ions and poblano. Perfect.. Grandma would love it😎

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yum! Thanks for sharing what you did. So glad you enjoyed the soup. I’m sure Grandma would love it!! 🙂

  47. Minxy says:

    5 stars
    But where’s the video?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      The video is embedded in the post a little ways down. If you scroll just past the heading “Mexican Albondigas Soup”, it should show up there in the post.

  48. Alyssa says:

    5 stars
    Very tasty! I added potatoes, onion, zucchini and 2 extra cups of broth in it as well and I’m so glad I did. I omitted the cilantro. It was so good! I’m making it for Halloween but I’m going to purée the tomatoes next time and only use half the oregano this re iOS called for. Overall it was very very good. My husband absolutely loves it.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for sharing what you did! So happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup.

  49. Jennifer Vidales says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this with me ❤️

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome!

  50. Sharon L Pearson says:

    I have a question. I just downloaded your recipe for Albondigas Soup and notice that it says add the potatoes at the same time as the meatballs. The recipe doesn’t mention potatoes. How many do you recommend. I’m looking forward to trying the recipe.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      The potato should be listed there under the soup ingredients, but we just recommend using 1. You could add more if you love potatoes, but with all the other veggies in the soup, we’ve found 1 to be great!

  51. Yvonne says:

    5 stars
    I made this soup today and it’s so good. My picky eater loves it. I used 64 ounces of chicken broth and added, as other commenter did, fresh corn and used Mexican canned tomatoes. I also added zucchini. This will be in my meal rotation as the weather is getting more cool. Thank you. Glad I found your site!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Mmmm I love what you added…. sounds amazing. So glad you found us here and for giving the recipe a try!

  52. Jen T says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe, thanks for sharing!! It’s very similar to how my mom makes it, but she never uses measurements so it’s nice to have this recipe as a guide 😊👍🏻

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You bet!! So glad you enjoyed the soup!

  53. Sandra says:

    5 stars
    I added chorizo to the meatball mix, other than that I followed the directions to a tee. The soup is absolutely delicious. Thanks, for the great recipe. This was my first time & I was very pleased.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Ooh that sounds tasty! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the soup!

  54. Nae says:

    5 stars
    Super easy and delicious! Will definitely be making this one again. Thank you!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I am so glad you liked it!! Thank you for trying it!

  55. Vanessa says:

    5 stars
    My aunt always made an amazing albondigas soup that I loved. This recipe was not like hers but came close enough. I added a knorr cube and some chipotle adobo. TY

    1. LilLunaTeam says:

      I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing what you do!

  56. Shoo says:

    5 stars
    I followed this recipe, but tweaked it. I really love a rich broth, so I used more chicken broth. I also added a can of “baby roma’s” sweet and rich. I also added celery seed. I don’t like rice in the meatball.
    OH! In the meatball mixture, I added chorizo, 2 eggs, a little bread crumbs to hold the meatballs together.

    1. LilLunaTeam says:

      All of those additions sound great! Thanks so much for sharing them with us!

  57. Doug says:

    Perfection! I like to do my meatballs in the oven, rather than frying them. 400° for about 10 to 12 minutes is fine. To kick it up a bit, I sometimes add 1 minced chipotle chile with a tablespoon or so of the adobo to the meat mixture. Also, I combine the meat mixture in my Kitchenaid stand mixer – so easy! Thanks for posting such a great recipe!

    1. Doug says:

      5 stars
      Oops – forgot to rate it – 5 stars!

    2. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome! That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing that!

  58. Elza Macias says:

    5 stars
    Great soup with good flavor. I added beef bullion to the meetbals. Came out great.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Glad you tried it! Thank you for letting me know 🙂

  59. Dexter Stewart says:

    5 stars
    OMG I LOVE THIS RECIPE!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Love hearing that!! Thank you for letting me know 🙂

    2. Celia Ramos says:

      5 stars
      It tasted great! My husband loved it and he is not a fan of soups.

  60. Katherine Witt Espinosa says:

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe. My Family loves it.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay! That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for letting me know 🙂

  61. Rose says:

    4 stars
    We liked the flavor but it definitely need more broth. Is the recipe correct with just 4 cups of chicken broth? How would you adapt recipe to accommodate more liquid?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yes, it is correct. You could just add another cup if you like.

  62. Anak says:

    5 stars
    So delicious! I’ve made it twice in the past week!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! That makes me so happy! Thank you!

  63. Katherine Espinosa says:

    5 stars
    This is my favorite recipe, it’s a hit every single time. I I alway’s add some different spices, just to give it a little kick.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Perfect!! Thank you so much! Glad it’s a hit!

  64. Sandra says:

    Why precook the rice? Doesn’t the rice cook while it’s cooking in the soup anyway? Just curious if there’s another reason.

  65. Adelita Wisenbaker says:

    Hello, I’m going to try this recipe this weekend for my family and some guests. How many servings does the regular recipe serve?

  66. Karen says:

    5 stars
    Ive made many different variations of albindigas, but this one is ghe best by far! I only made Two changes; i used mexican fLavored tomAtoes and i added fresh corn on the cob. It was somgood, the next time i tripled the recipe but alas, it was still gone in a day (that’s how good this is!)

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      That sounds perfect! Thank you for trying it!

  67. Kelly C says:

    5 stars
    love this recipe, i used pork & beef (cleaning out my frIdge) and it tastes great. Also added zucc towards the end of cooking. Will kerp this in rota.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Great options!! So happy you liked it! Thank you 🙂

  68. Gail says:

    5 stars
    just made this today. it was easy to make and so delicious. win win! thank you so much!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Thank you for trying it & for letting me know!

  69. Katherine says:

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe, Im gonna make it right now.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are welcome! Hope you like it!

  70. Armida says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe but no onions? I added to soup (small amount)

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I wish I liked them, but yes, you can totally add some! Thank you!

  71. Katherine Witt Espinosa says:

    5 stars
    I love this Recipe, my family is always excited when i make it. I have only change a couple of things.

    Thank you,

    Katherine Espinosa

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I am so happy your family likes it! Thank you for letting me know 🙂

  72. Lori says:

    5 stars
    My HUSBAND WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THIS! IT’S going to become a REGULAR FOR SURE!

  73. Lynda says:

    if you are using the slow cooker instructions, do you need to still need to brow the meatballs?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I would still follow the same instructions 🙂 Enjoy!!

  74. Eva Garcia says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Almost like my grandmother’s soup. She used to add minced mint to the meatballs.

  75. Lonna says:

    5 stars
    Made your ALBONDIGAS soup…..amazing, the broth was outstanding.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! I am so glad you liked it! Thank you!

  76. Iris says:

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe over 5 times and I am making it again tonight. Soooo good! I always double the recipe since we love it so much. I omit the cilantro just because i am not a fan (tastes soapy to me) but no one ever complains 🙂 Let’s hope i can impress my husband’s grandparents who are coming over for dinner tonight. THank you for the great recipe!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome!! I hope they like it. Thank you so much!

  77. Diana alvarez says:

    5 stars
    THIS CAME OUT AMAZING! IVE MADE IT SO MANY TIMES ALWAYS FOLLOWING THIS RECIPE!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Awe, I am so glad!! Thank you so much!

  78. Loretta Baker says:

    Hi ,I sent you a question earlier i have another question, would zucchini work in this too? we love onion and zucchini in this type of soup!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Any kind of potato would work..I think I used a russet potato & yes, zucchini would be great! Hope you like it!

  79. Loretta Baker says:

    Hi , what type of potatoe would i use for this recipe?

  80. Jackie says:

    5 stars
    I tried it and loved it!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Thank you for trying it! Glad you liked it!

  81. Lucy says:

    Out of curiosity. Did you buy instant rice or did you cook your own rice before hand?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I did, but any type of rice would work 🙂

  82. Jeff woytek says:

    5 stars
    Just wanted to say that I tried the albondigas RESEIPE.so,so good! Really enjoyed the flavor and I can’t remember the last time I had some.what I liked about the recipe was I already had most of the ingredients. Very GOOD. I think I will make it again around Thanksgiving right now after all it is soup season.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Thank you for letting me know that! I am so glad you like it! Yay for soup season!

  83. Precious I Ogilvie says:

    5 stars
    I just made this soup and oh my goodness. Thank you thank you .

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome!! Thank you for trying it 🙂

  84. Jerryt says:

    5 stars
    This looks so good anD i wAnt to mAke it this weekend. AppRoximately how many servings are in the recipe?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      6 servings about a cup to cup & a half big.

  85. Carleen says:

    I am excited to try this as I have only had it only (several times) at one restaurant way across the country and I’m addicted to it. I do find it odd that onion is excluded from the recipe. I also want to add that when I had this at El Tepeyac in LA, it was served with Mexican rice, so consider that option.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Thank you for sharing that! Yes, rice would be a great option & onion ( I just don’t like onions). Enjoy!!

  86. Tamara says:

    5 stars
    Wonderful soup everyone loved it!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! So happy they did! Thank you for letting me know & giving it a try!

  87. Loretta Baker says:

    Hi i would like to use frozen fully cooked meatballs, what size of bag would i need and how many hours in the crockpot on low
    Thanks

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yes, you could. My recipe made about 24 meatballs, so that’s about half a bag. The count is usually on the bag. It would be low for about 4 hrs.

  88. Diana says:

    5 stars
    Love love love! Super easy to follow and make this coming from a person that always buRns food and doesnt cook much so you know its super easy to do. I used my crockpot and didnt use rice as i had none. Super DELICIOUS Just like my mom Use to make it!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Glad you like it 🙂 Thank you for sharing that! I am glad you tried it!

  89. Patty says:

    5 stars
    This recipe was easy to follow and I doubled ingredients for leftovers.
    Absolutely delicious, added lemon to soup after serving in bowl.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! Glad to hear! Thank you so much 🙂

  90. Amy L Huntley says:

    5 stars
    This was the first time that I have made this recipe! SO GOOD!

  91. Becca says:

    5 stars
    Never had Albondigas soup before this- it’s so good! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR RECIPE.

  92. Betty O'Brien says:

    Sounds wonderful! I don’t like the taste of cilantro…can I leave it out and not ruin the taste of soup?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You sure could 🙂 I hope you try it!! It is so tasty!

  93. Josh says:

    4 stars
    This is a good MEATBALL-TOMATOE SOUP; everyone in our home liked it, but it’s not Abondigas. Abondigas doesn’t taste anything like this.

    I thought a little heavy on cumin overall, but actually really Liked the meatballs.

  94. Vanessa says:

    5 stars
    the best tasting, authentic albondigas recipe i’ve tried!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Awe, thank you so much for saying that!

  95. Ron says:

    5 stars
    THIS WAS AN EASY RECIPE AND MOST DELICIOUS. I ADDED HALF OF A LARGE ONION TO THE SOUP AND TOPPED IT OFF AT THE END WITH TWO HEAPING HANDFULS OF ORGANIC SPINACH AND IT WAS A HUGE HIT. SERVED IT WITH PARMESAN CHEESE SPRINKLED ON TOP W/ ADDITIONAL PEPPER. #WINNER

    *Not sure why this won’t let me post not in all caps? I am not yelling…LOL!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Sounds delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing that!

  96. Dave Falcon says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing. I went a little heavier on thE cumin for taste. Doubled the ingredients everywhere else to yield a big pot n leftovers. Also Went with baby carrots and red potatos. This recipe was a big hit with the family. Thank you

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      That sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing that!

  97. Anneth says:

    5 stars
    everybody loved it! including my toddler.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! Love to hear that 🙂 Thank you for sharing!

  98. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says:

    5 stars
    I know for sure this would be a huge hit in my house!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      It really is so tasty! I hope your family does love it, if you give it a try!! Thank you!!

  99. Jessica says:

    This soup looks perfect for fall and winter! I love hearty soups, especially ones with Mexican flavors. I’ll have to try it out!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I’m with ya! They are always so tasty!! Thank you!

  100. Jennifer Lehner says:

    5 stars
    I will be making this soup once it gets chilly here…which will be tomorrow! LOL

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! I hope you love it, as much as we do! Thanks!

  101. Courtney O'Dell says:

    5 stars
    I love Albondigas – when my Grandma would take me to Olvera Street as a little kid, it was always my favorite thing to order! I love this recipe so much – tastes just like I used to get there!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I am so glad it does 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing that!

  102. Aimee Shugarman says:

    5 stars
    I love this soup recipe, perfect for a rainy Fall evening!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Totally is!! Thank you so much!

  103. Lil'Luna Team says:

    Thanks for the feedback and giving the recipe a try.