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How To Make Albondigas Mexicanas
Just Mexican Food

Authentic Mexican Albondigas Soup

Mexican meatballs are pretty unique. If you get the opportunity to try them at a restaurant in Mexico, you’re sure to be pleasantly surprised with just how filling and tasty they are. It´s not just in terms of the full flavoring that sets them apart, but also their savory, soupy texture that is sure to bring a smile to any kids that try them!   In Mexican cuisine, the soup is key and has influenced a lot of dishes that are enjoyed on a daily basis throughout the country. Think along the terms of pozole or pancita, just two name two of the most popular dishes. So, it comes with no surprise that many people in Mexico prefer to eat their albondigas in soup. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole large onion
  • ½ pound of green beans
  • 1 A large clove of garlic
  • 2 Two large carrots
  • 1 1/2 cup of peas preferably fresh
  • 1/3 cup of raw white rice
  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 2/4 of chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup of tomato sauce
  • ¼ cup each of parsley and spearmint leaves
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup of fresh cilantro
  • Water

Equipment

  • Large 5-quart heavy-bottomed pot
  • Chopping knife
  • Laddle

Method
 

  1. Chop up the whole onion and mince the garlic. Peel the carrots and slice them into small pieces.
  2. Add the olive oil to the pan and set it to a medium heat. Once it’s hot add in the onion and let it cook until it becomes tender, which should be in about 5 minutes.
  3. At this point, you can add the garlic. Let them cook together for a minute, then add the stock, tomato sauce, and water. Let it come to a boil and then reduce the heat so that it can simmer. At this point, you can drop in the string beans and carrots.
Preparing the albondigas, or meatballs
  1. Take the ground meat and add salt, pepper, rice, parsley, and spearmint leaves. Then you add in the raw egg. Mix it all together.
  2. Now you’re ready to form relatively small-sized meatballs, about the size of a golf ball.
  3. Carefully drop in the meatballs into the simmering soup. Make sure to do this one at a time so that they don`t get squished together. Place the cover over the pot and let it all simmer together for half an hour.
  4. A few minutes before the half-an-hour mark add in the peas, along with a sprinkling of chopped oregano and some more salt and pepper.
  5. Then you should be ready to serve. Just top it all off with some freshly chopped cilantro and serve with the paddle.

Notes

Tips and Tricks For Caldo De Albondigas

To stay on the lighter side, you can substitute ground beef with ground turkey. This is actually done quite commonly in restaurants, especially when many customers avoid red meat. The preparation is similar and turkey meatballs are as tasty as red meatballs.
For a little something extra, you can add some freshly chopped mint to the soup. Also, connoisseurs add hierbabuena. And as with all kinds of Mexican dishes, you can add chili peppers and hot sauce as well. People prefer Chile chipotle which they add once the meatballs are fully cooked. Chipotle adds a kind of spicy but sweet flavor that enhances the rich taste of the meatballs.