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Albondigas Soup with Carrots and Herbs

Counter 11 · Meatballs & Mince

Albondigas Soup with Carrots and Herbs

Small beef and rice meatballs simmered in a golden tomato-tinged chicken broth with carrots, zucchini and plenty of fresh herbs. Comfort food across Latin kitchens.

4.7 402 cooks rated this
Prep
25 min
Cook
40 min
Serves
6
Level
Medium
Free recipe Jump to method

Nearly every Latin American family has a version of sopa de albondigas, and most agree on one detail: raw rice goes into the meatballs. It cooks right in the broth, swelling so the meatballs stay light and never dense. Mint in the mix is traditional in Mexico and worth keeping; it brightens the whole pot. Keep the meatballs small, about the size of a cherry, so they cook through in the time it takes the carrots to soften. A squeeze of lime at the table finishes it.

Method

  1. Mix the beef, pork, rice, egg, mint, cumin, grated onion and 1 tsp salt. Roll into 1-inch balls and chill on a plate while you start the soup.

  2. In a 6-quart pot over medium heat, cook the diced onion and carrots in a splash of the broth for 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent.

  3. Add the crushed tomatoes, remaining broth and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a steady simmer.

  4. Lower the meatballs in one at a time so the simmer does not stop. Cover partially and cook 25 minutes without stirring for the first 10, so they set and hold together.

  5. Add the zucchini and simmer 8 minutes more, until it is just tender and a meatball cut in half shows fully cooked rice.

  6. Stir in most of the cilantro, taste for salt, and ladle into bowls with the rest of the herbs on top.

Rows of raw rolled meatballs on a floral china platter
Meatballs rolled and ready for the pan
Ground beef in a skillet above minced garlic and a chef knife
Browning ground beef while the garlic waits

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