Grandma S Famous Albondigas Recipe

Great-Grandma’s Mexican soup

This Albondigas recipe was recreated based on the soup my Great-Grandma would make. After decades of trying to recreate, we finally have it figured out and are so excited to share her famous soup with all of you. 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. This traditional Mexican meatball soup has a flavorful broth base and is filled with tomatoes, veggies, homemade meatballs, and sometimes rice.

Ingredients

PREP TIME: 80 minutesCOOK TIME: 6 minutes Albondiga (meatball) Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef – For the most tender and flavorful meatballs, stick with fattier meats. The most popular meat choice is ground beef (80/20 or 70/30). Meatballs made using lean ground beef tend to fall apart more easily. You can substitute half of the ground beef with pork sausage. You can also use ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey. 1 whole egg – helps bind the ingredients together 2 teaspoons minced garlic – Use 4-6 fresh garlic cloves to make 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. ½ cup fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ½ cup Cooked Rice – It adds texture and acts as a binder to hold the meatballs together. 1-2 tablespoons olive oil – or vegetable oil. Browning the meatballs first will help them keep their shape.

Soup Ingredients

4 cups chicken broth – Use stock in place of broth. You can also use beef broth in place of the chicken broth. ½ cup sliced carrots 1 celery stalk 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes – use 2 cups of peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes. ½ teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon oregano ½ cup fresh cilantro 1 potato – you can use any potato. Red and white potatoes tend to hold their shape while russets are softer and create a creamier soup. Yukon Golds are in between. salt & black pepper – season to taste extra veggies (optional) – toss in chopped onions, diced zucchini, green beans, or peas. toppings (optional) – Top the soup with a dollop of sour cream and sliced avocados. Garnish bowls with lime wedges which you can squeeze to add lime juice to each bowl.