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Mexican Meatball Soup

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This fragrant Mexican Meatball Soup, traditionally called Albondigas, is loaded with vegetables and full of flavor. It's also ready in just 30-minutes.
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 259
Author Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 lb lean ground beef [See Note 1]
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • ½ onion , chopped
  • ½ cup uncooked Rolled Oats [See Note 2]
  • 1 egg , beaten
  • ¼ cup fresh spearmint , chopped finely
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro , chopped finely
  • ¼ cup fresh oregano , chopped finely [See Note 3]
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp Chipotle chili powder [See Note 4]
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the soup:

  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • ½ onion , chopped
  • 1 large carrot , sliced
  • 2 medium potatoes , peeled and cut into small dice-sized cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with chile peppers
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Juice ½ of a lemon or lime juice [See Note 5]
  • Optional Garnish:
  • fresh cilantro , chopped finely

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom 5 qt stock pot to medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add chopped carrots, celery, and potatoes to pot and cook for about 3 to 5.
  • Meanwhile, in a bowl add all the meatball ingredients together and mix well. Shape into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter, about golf ball size. Set aside.
  • Next. add the broth, water, diced tomatoes and spices into the stock pot. Stir to combine.
  • Add the meatballs to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Cover continue cooking over medium-low heat for another 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Add lemon juice and herbs. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Notes

1). Lean ground beef is important in this recipe. Otherwise, your soup broth will have a layer of broth floating on the top. You can strain this if you prefer.2). I used rolled oats in my meatballs to bulk them up with added fiber. To go a more traditional route, add 1/2 cup of rice in place of the rolled oats. This will also increase the overall cooking time from 30-minutes to about an hour. 3). You may substitute 1 tablespoon of dried oregano for the fresh oregano if you prefer. 4). Regular chili powder may be substituted for the chipotle chili powder. The soup will not have that aromatic and smoky flavor chipotle chili powder provides.5). The fresh lemon or lime juice brings a fresh acidity to the soup.