Albondigas Soup Recipe

5 from 353 votes

Handed down for generations, there's nothing better than Great Grandma's famous albondigas soup!

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Total Time55

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

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.

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).

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.