Albondigas Soup, the Mexican version of Meatballs Soup is hearty, flavorful and super satisfying. This Albondigas Soup recipe is made with ground beef and rice meatballs and lots of vegetables in a savory and light broth.
I don’t know about you but, at home we eat soup all year round. For me a good soup is filling, comforting and the ultimate one-pot meal.
Albondigas Soup Recipe
This Mexican meatball soup or sopa de albondigas is a family favorite meal and for good reasons! This warming and nutritious soup is loaded with both protein and vegetables and seasoned with fresh herbs and spices.
Mexican Albondigas Soup is a filling meal on its own, especially if you add some toppings however, you can serve this tasty Mexican soup with some crusty bread or warm tortillas and a side salad if you wish.
The Best Albondigas Recipe for Soup
This soup is one of our favorite Mexican soup recipes. It has so much flavor and is made with simple ingredients, some of which you may have already at home.
The Mexican style meatballs in this soup are made with ground beef, fresh herbs and rice. In Mexico, yerba buena (a type of mint) is used to flavor the meat mixture. At home, I use fresh mint to give the meatballs that authentic Mexican flavor.
What are Albondigas?
Albondigas soup have juicy, tender meatballs that are seasoned to perfection. The soup is packed with veggies like carrots, zucchini, green beans, potatoes, celery and roasted tomatoes all simmered in an aromatic savory broth.
To make this albondigas soup recipe you can use fresh or frozen veggies.You can also customize the soup to your taste by adding any vegetables you may have at home. Bell peppers, yellow squash, Mexican squash or chayote and corn are great options.
Albondiga Soup Ingredients
To Make The Albondigas (Meatballs)
- Ground Beef: I use lean ground beef.
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic.
- Rice: I use medium grain or small grain white rice, uncooked.
- Egg: I use a large egg as a binding ingredient.
- Herbs and Spices: Fresh mint, fresh parsley, fresh or dried oregano, ground cumin, salt and black ground pepper.
To Make The Soup
- Oil: I use olive oil but you can use any mild flavored oil.
- Vegetables and Aromatics: Onions, fresh garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, zucchini, diced tomatoes (I like canned roasted diced potatoes), green beans.
- Broth: You can use beef or chicken broth. Vegetable broth can also be used.
- Herbs and Seasonings: Ground cumin, oregano (fresh or dried), fresh cilantro, cayenne pepper (optional), salt and pepper and fresh lemon juice.
How to Make Albondigas Soup
- Make the Albondigas: Combine the meatball ingredients and shape into 1-inch balls.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Cook the onions until they become translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic.
- Add Some of the Veggies: Stir in the carrots, celery and potatoes.
- Simmer: Add the tomatoes with their juices, the broth, ground cumin and oregano. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer.
- Add the Meatballs: Gently drop the meatballs into the soup. Cover the pot and cook on low for 15 minutes.
- Add the Remaining Veggies: Add green beans and zucchini, these veggies are added at this later time because they cook faster than the other veggies.
- Finish Seasoning and Serve: Stir in the lemon juice, chopped cilantro, cayenne pepper (optional), and season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. Serve.
How long can you keep Albondigas Soup?
This Mexican Albondigas Soup will last stored in an airtight container, 3-4 days in the refrigerator. The meatballs and veggies may soak up some of the broth so you may need to add additional broth when reheating it.
What Does Albondigas Mean In English?
Albondigas means meatballs in Spanish. Caldo de albondigas or sopa de albondigas simply means meatballs in broth or meatball soup.
Where Did Albondigas Originate From?
Albondigas are eaten in Mexico, Spain and in many Latin American countries. Every country has their own version and every household has the absolute best secret recipe. Meatballs are part of Middle eastern and European cuisine. Some historians believe that meatballs are of Medieval European or even Ancient Roman descent.
Can I Use Store Bought Meatballs?
The Mexican style meatballs in this soup recipe have fresh herbs and spices that give these meatballs their amazing “Spanish” taste. I have not make this soup with store bought meatballs and although I know pre-made meatball can be used, you won’t have that fresh Mexican taste that makes this soup so unique.
How Do You Keep Albondigas From Falling Apart?
When albondigas or meatballs fall apart, it is usually due to a binder issue. Binders are ingredients that keep the meatballs together. Eggs, breadcrumbs, panade, etc. are examples of binders. To prevent meatballs or albondigas from falling apart, you need the right ratio of wet and dry ingredients. I find that too much egg is usually the most common issue for albondigas that fall apart easily or break up.
Another reason that will cause your albondigas to fall apart, is adding them to the soup too fast and/or all at once. When dropping the meatballs into the soup, be gentle and do it slowly. I try to lower them into the hot soup slowly with the help of a kitchen spider/strainer/skimmer or a large cooking/serving spoon. Dropping them all at once from a bowl can break the meat apart and also cause the meatballs to stick together.
Why Are My Albondigas Hard?
Albondigas or meatballs are usually hard for two reasons:
- Over mixing the albondigas or meatball mixture will make the albondigas tough.
- Compacting the meat too much when forming the albondigas, makes a dense and hard meatball.
Albondigas Recipe Tips
- Customize the vegetables to your taste keeping in mind that some veggies take longer to cook than others.
- To make uniform sized meatballs, use an ice cream scooper. This saves time and guarantees that the meatballs will cook evenly.
- After adding the albondigas to the soup, stir them very gently as raw meatballs can break apart.
- Rolling meatballs is much easier if you wet your hands first.
- You can make the meatballs with ground turkey, ground chicken or ground pork.
Take a look at these other delicious and easy soup recipes:
- Black Bean Soup
- Tom Yum Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Sweet Potato Soup
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Albondigas Soup
Ingredients
For Meatballs
- 1- pound lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup long grain rice uncooked
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/4 cup mint fresh chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Albondigas Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced (about ½-inch thick)
- 3 celery ribs sliced (about ½-inch thick)
- 1 large Russet potato peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes (or 2 medium red potatoes)
- 1 15-ounces can roasted diced tomatoes or plain diced tomatoes
- 6 cups beef or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
- 6 ounces green beans ends removed cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini cut in half lengthwise and sliced (about ½-inch thick)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Shape into 1-inch balls. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, until ready to add to the soup. You should get approximately 25 – 28 meatballs.
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook stirring constantly, for about a minute.
- Stir in the carrots, celery and potatoes and sauté, stirring frequently for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes with their juices, the broth, ground cumin and oregano. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Gently and slowly, drop the meatballs into the soup. Give it a gentle stir (be gentle, you don’t want to break up the meatballs). Cover the pot and cook on low for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the green beans and zucchini and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the vegetables are tender but firm.
- Stir in the lemon juice, chopped cilantro, cayenne pepper (optional), and season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. Serve.
Video
Chef’s Tips
- Customize the vegetables to your taste keeping in mind that some veggies take longer to cook than others.
- To make uniform sized meatballs, use an ice cream scooper. This saves time and guarantees that the meatballs will cook evenly.
- Rolling meatballs is much easier if you wet your hands first.
- After adding the albondigas to the soup, stir them very gently as raw meatballs can break apart.
- You can make the meatballs with ground turkey, ground chicken or ground pork.
- Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
Patricia Toney says
I made this soup and it was amazingly delicious. I followed the recipe to a tee ! It reminded me of when my abulieta use to make it! Can’t wait to make again!
Kathy says
Thanks Patricia. That is such a wonderful compliment. You made my day.
Tulip says
Do you put the rice uncooked in the meatballs? Does it cook in the soup?
Kathy says
Hi, The meatballs are made with uncooked rice. The rice and meat cooks in the soup. The rice becomes quite tender.
Christina Gutierrez says
I liked this recipe, gave it a 4 because I don’t like mint, so I used cilantro. Then for me soup was a 5.
Kathy says
Mint is used for the authentic version of this recipe but you can always swap ingredients you don’t like.
Zinnia says
I made this with large frozen meatballs, it was delicious. I baked them in the oven and added them to your recipe. I had to adjust a bit because I didn’t have a few items but it is yummy. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSPIRATIONAL RECIPE.
Zinnia Calk says
Also I did quarter the meatballs for easier eating. 🙂
Jacellynne says
This soup turned out better than the ones at Mexican restaurants. Tasted so authentic even my suegra (mother in law) who’s from Sonora Mexico loved it.
Home Cooked Harvest says
I ate albondigas soup all the time growing up! I can’t wait to try your version of the recipe. Looks sooooo good!!
Kathy says
Thank you! It is da bomb! Seriously delicious.