Mexican · Lunch · Dinner
Mexican Meatball Soup
Sopa de albóndigas
Tender mint-scented beef and rice meatballs simmered in a light tomato broth with carrots, potato and zucchini. A comforting, protein-rich bowl brightened with lime and cilantro.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Serves
- 6
Calories come from: Carbs 34% · Fat 32% · Protein 34%
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Ingredients
For 6 servings- 500 g (about 1.1 lb)Lean ground beef (93% lean)
- 1/4 cup50 gLong-grain white rice, uncooked
- 1 large50 gEgg
- 1/4 cup6 gFresh mint (hierbabuena), finely chopped
- 1/4 cup40 gOnion, finely minced (for meatballs)
- 1 medium110 gOnion, chopped (for broth)
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic, divided
- 1 tspGround cumin
- 1 tspDried oregano (Mexican if possible)
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/2 tspBlack pepper
- 3 medium370 gRipe tomatoes
- 1 tbsp14 gOlive oil
- 4 cups960 gLow-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups960 gWater, divided
- 2 medium120 gCarrots, sliced into rounds
- 1 medium200 gPotato, peeled and diced
- 2 medium400 gZucchini, diced
- 1/2 cup8 gFresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 1 medium65 gLime, cut into wedges (optional)
Steps
- 1
In a bowl, combine the beef, rice, egg, mint, minced onion, 2 cloves of garlic (minced), cumin, salt and pepper.
- 2
Mix gently with your hands until just combined, then shape into about 24 balls the size of a walnut; wash your hands after handling raw meat.
- 3
Blend the tomatoes, half of the chopped broth onion, the remaining 2 garlic cloves and 1 cup of the water until smooth.
- 4
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the rest of the chopped onion for 3 minutes until soft.
- 5
Pour in the tomato purée, add the oregano and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring now and then.
- 6
Add the chicken broth and the remaining 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- 7
Lower to a gentle simmer, slide in the meatballs one at a time, cover and cook for 15 minutes without stirring.
- 8
Add the carrots and potato and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 9
Add the zucchini and simmer 8 to 10 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender, the rice in the meatballs is soft and the meatballs reach 71 °C / 160 °F inside.
- 10
Taste the broth; brighten it with lime juice rather than extra salt.
- 11
Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use lean ground turkey or chicken instead of beef for a milder meatball; cook poultry meatballs to 74 °C / 165 °F inside.
- Replace the fresh tomatoes with one 14 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes when good fresh ones are out of season.
- Swap the potato for diced chayote or extra zucchini for a lighter, more vegetable-heavy bowl.
- Use dried mint (about 1 tablespoon) if fresh hierbabuena is hard to find.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot throughout. The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months, though the potato and zucchini will turn softer after thawing.
Make ahead
Shape the meatballs up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, and blend the tomato base the day before too. You can also cook the whole soup a day ahead and reheat it gently, adding the cilantro and lime just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: EggsCelery
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (633 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 273 kcal | 43 kcal |
| Protein | 23.9 g | 3.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23 g | 3.6 g |
| of which sugars | 6 g | 0.9 g |
| Fiber | 3.5 g | 0.6 g |
| Fat | 9.6 g | 1.5 g |
| of which saturated | 3.1 g | 0.5 g |
| Sodium | 664 mg | 105 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
