Try This Mexican Meatball Soup

Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball)

As the weather starts to cool off, soup season begins. This soup is loaded with vegetables and flavorful meatballs. Meatballs have a place in just about every culture. Here we are using them in a Mexican favorite, Albondigas.

-- Got a soup recipe to share? Post it in the comments below.

The meat for the meatballs has to be prepared the day before so that the flavors have time to meld together. First mix the ground pork with all the seasonings, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Form the meatballs the next day just before you are ready to drop them into the soup. This soup freezes well so double the recipe if you have time.

Meatballs

1.5 lbs. of ground pork

1.5 Tablespoons of paprika

1.5 Tablespoons of Ancho Chili powder

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1.5 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

½ teaspoon of dried oregano

½ teaspoon of cumin

½ teaspoons of ground coriander

1 Tablespoon of distilled white vinegar

2 Tablespoons of water

In a small bowl mix all the seasonings except the garlic, vinegar and water. In a medium bowl add the pork, the seasonings and garlic. Mix well. Combine the water and the vinegar and mix into the pork mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to make the soup, form the pork mixture into 1” balls. Do not make them any bigger. They need to be a one bite size.

Soup

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 quarts of low sodium chicken broth

2 cups of diced tomatoes

2 Tablespoons of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 cup of long-grain white rice

2 cups of grated zucchini

1 bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped

2 limes, juiced

In a medium size stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for about 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Pour in the stock, tomatoes, oregano, cumin and salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and rice, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until the meatballs are done. Add the zucchini and adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper. Cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro and lime juice.

Serves 6-8