Sopa de albondigas is a traditional Mexican soup made with meatballs, vegetables, and a flavorful broth. This hearty and delicious soup is a popular comfort food in many Mexican households and is often served as a main course or as part of a larger meal. The meatballs are typically made with a combination of ground beef, pork, and spices, and are then simmered in a broth made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and other vegetables. The soup is often garnished with cilantro, avocado, and lime wedges, and is served with warm tortillas or crusty bread for dipping. With its bold flavors and comforting aroma, sopa de albondigas is a delightful dish that is sure to satisfy your taste buds and warm your soul.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
SOPA DE ALBóNDIGAS (MEXICAN MEATBALL SOUP)
Ask 10 people for a recipe for a particular dish, and you'll probably get 10 different recipes. Mexican sopa de albóndigas is no exception. Most variations are likely to involve vegetables, rice, a tomato-based broth and, inevitably, meatballs. Wesley Avila, the chef of Guerrilla Tacos in Los Angeles, learned this recipe from his mother, who learned it from her grandmother. His meatballs are hefty in size but light in density, and follow his family's tradition of adding uncooked white rice to the pork-beef mixture before shaping it into balls and cooking: "My mom always told me that when the rice is done, the soup is ready," Mr. Avila said. "She used it almost as a timer." The toppings - piled on as you would atop chili - skew cheffy, but they are entirely optional.
Provided by Alexa Weibel
Categories dinner, soups and stews, main course
Time 2h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 26
Steps:
- Prepare the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, rice, mint, garlic, salt and pepper. Using your hands, gently mix until well combined. Pinch off 2-ounce portions and gently roll between your palms to form golf ball-size rounds, transferring rounds to a sheet pan. (You should have about 28 meatballs.)
- In large pot, combine the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and potato; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, oregano and cumin, and cook over medium, stirring frequently, until fragrant and tomato paste starts to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer over high.
- Once the stock begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low. Carefully add the meatballs, one by one, distributing them evenly in the pot until they're all submerged. If necessary, reduce the heat to reach a low simmer (this will keep the meatballs tender), and cook until the meatballs and rice are cooked through, about 40 minutes. (Resist the urge to stir for the first 20 minutes, otherwise you risk breaking the meatballs apart before they've firmed up.) Skim any impurities from the surface as the soup simmers.
- Season to taste with salt. Divide the soup among bowls, about four or five meatballs per portion, and set out bowls of whatever garnishes you like.
SOPA DE ALBóNDIGAS
Sopa de albóndigas is one of those comfort foods that bring back memories of my homeland. My mom always adds potatoes, carrots, chayotes, or some sort of vegetable into the tomato broth to make enough for a large family like ours. And it is a good way to get the kids to eat their veggies.
Provided by Mely Martínez
Time 35m
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Cover the rice well with boiling water and let it soak for about 45 minutes. Place the meats in a large bowl and mix well.
- Trim the squash and chop them very finely. Add the squash and chopped onion to the meat. Blend the eggs with the herbs and spices until smooth. Mix well into the meat. Add salt.
- Drain the rice and add it to the mixture. Make 24 meatballs, each about 1-1/2 inch in diameter, or any size of your preference.
- Pour the boiling water over the tomatoes and cook it for about 5 minutes.Skin the tomatoes, place them into the blender along with the chopped garlic clove and blend until almost smooth.
- Heat the oil and cook the onion gently, without browning, until soft.
- Add the tomato puree, bring it to boil, and let it cook fast for about 3 minutes. Add the broth to the tomato sauce and bring it to simmer.
- Add the meatballs, cover the pan, and let them simmer for about one hour and 15 minutes to one hour and 30 minutes. Serve in deep bowls with plenty of sauce.
- If you want to make this soup a little spicy add some sliced jalapeños to the simmering sauce. Or add some canned chipotles to the blender with the tomatoes.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 g, Calories 387 kcal, Carbohydrate 20 g, Protein 27 g, Fat 22 g, SaturatedFat 7 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 131 mg, Sodium 972 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 4 g, UnsaturatedFat 13 g
SOPA DE ALBONDIGAS
This recipe, which I found in an old Sunset cookbook, is the only one I've found that's as good as our favorite little family-owned Mexican restaurant. . .
Provided by CCLady
Categories Meat
Time 50m
Yield 8-10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a large saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is tender but not brown.
- Stir in water, broth and tomato paste.
- Bring to a boil; add potatoes and carrots.
- Simmer 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine egg, cilantro or parsley, salt, oregano and pepper.
- Add ground beef and rice and mix well.
- Form into 1-inch meatballs.
- Add, a few at a time, to the simmering soup.
- When all meatballs are added, bring soup back to boiling.
- Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes, or until meatballs and vegetables are done.
LAMB MEATBALL SOUP (SOPA DE ALBONDIGAS)
Provided by Marcela Valladolid
Categories main-dish
Time 55m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground lamb, mint, salt, pepper and egg. Using clean hands, mix until well combined. Measure 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture and roll in the palm of your hands to form a meatball. Place the formed meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You should have enough to make 16 to 18 meatballs.
- In a heavy saucepan, heat the vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the onions are softened and the tomato paste is cooked into the onions, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, corn and carrots. Saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and then add the lamb meatballs (albondigas) and the bay leaf. Score the serrano chile by finely slicing it down the middle, being careful not to fully cut it in half, and add to the pot. Lower the heat and cover. Simmer for 35 minutes.
- Using a large spoon, skim the grease off the top of the soup and discard. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
MEXICAN CHICKEN MEATBALL SOUP (SOPA DE ALBONDIGAS DE POLLO)
A delicious soup recipe. Ground chicken meatballs are simmered in chicken broth with zucchini and chayote. I like to serve it with fresh spinach, chopped avocado, lemon juice, and chipotle chile.
Provided by gem
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes Chicken Soup Recipes
Time 1h10m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Combine 4 tomatoes, 1/2 an onion, and garlic in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the blended tomato mixture; cook until mixture changes color, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, reduce heat, and simmer while you prepare the meatballs.
- Place ground chicken in a bowl. Add 3 chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, egg, rice, mint, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well with your hands until mixture is uniform. Take about 1/4 cup of mixture and form into round meatballs using wet hands. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken mixture.
- Bring stock mixture to a boil. Place a meatball into a ladle and submerge into the boiling stock. Remove ladle and repeat with remaining meatballs.
- Place zucchini, chayote, and carrots into the stock. Bring to a boil again. Lower heat, season with salt, and cover. Simmer until meatballs are no longer pink in the center and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 232.6 calories, Carbohydrate 17.2 g, Cholesterol 90 mg, Fat 4.9 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 30.5 g, SaturatedFat 1.2 g, Sodium 998.2 mg, Sugar 6.2 g
AUTHENTIC SOPA DE ALBONDIGAS (MEATBALL SOUP)
My MIL has been making this soup for my husband since he was a small child. Definitely comfort food in his book. Please do not pass this recipe of thinking its time consuming or complex. I promise if you think of it in two easy steps it really is simple. One of the tastiest soups I have ever had.
Provided by cervantesbrandi
Categories Stew
Time 1h15m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- Mix the meatball ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Shape the meatballs into walnut sized balls. Place the meatballs on a clean plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate until you are ready to cook them.
- Place the dry chilies, garlic cloves and tomato into a small sauce pan. Fill with water until the chilies are completely covered. Boil the chilies and tomato on medium high heat for 15 minutes. Cover and set aside.
- In a large stock pot, heat the oil. Saute the onions for 2 minutes. Add in the carrots and stir. Pour in the water, cumin, bouillon cubes, chayote, potatoes and green beans.
- While the soup is heating up, place the tomato, chilies and garlic in the blender with 2 cups of fresh water. Blend on high or 5 minutes.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the blended chile into the stock pot scraping the bottom with a spoon. This may require two or three times (seeds and skins will get stuck so you may have to do this in two or so batches rinsing the sieve clean after each time.) Once you have strained all of the chile into the stock pot, stir and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling taste the soup and add salt if needed. Cook the soup for 15 minutes.
- Next, turn the heat down to medium low. Add in the meatballs one at a time until they are all in the pot. Gently stir the soup to make sure the meatballs are incorporated in with the broth and vegetables. Cover the soup and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve the soup in bowls garnished with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 419.6, Fat 24.3, SaturatedFat 8.2, Cholesterol 170.5, Sodium 1473.7, Carbohydrate 22.8, Fiber 5.6, Sugar 5.2, Protein 28.3
Tips:
- Use fresh ingredients. The fresher the ingredients, the better the sopa de albondigas will taste. This is especially important for the vegetables, such as the tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
- Season the meatballs well. The meatballs are the star of the show in sopa de albondigas, so make sure they're well-seasoned. Use a combination of herbs and spices, such as garlic, onion, cumin, and paprika.
- Don't overcook the meatballs. Overcooked meatballs will be tough and dry. Cook them just until they're cooked through, which will take about 10 minutes.
- Use a good quality broth. The broth is the base of the sopa de albondigas, so it's important to use a good quality broth. You can use chicken broth, beef broth, or vegetable broth.
- Add vegetables to the soup. Vegetables add flavor, texture, and nutrients to the sopa de albondigas. Some good vegetables to add include tomatoes, onions, carrots, and celery.
- Simmer the soup for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to meld and develop.
- Serve the sopa de albondigas with your favorite toppings. Some popular toppings include sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and tortilla chips.
Conclusion:
Sopa de albondigas is a delicious and hearty soup that is perfect for a cold winter day. It's easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you like your soup spicy or mild, with or without vegetables, sopa de albondigas is sure to please everyone at the table.
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