Albóndigas Soup Recipe
Description
A tomato-infused broth is the base for this savory soup featuring tender, herby pork meatballs and tons of chunky vegetables.
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Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound 85% lean ground pork
- ⅓ cup dry long grain white rice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint*
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, marjoram or regular oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- kosher salt and black pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion, diced (2 cups)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, marjoram or regular oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 large carrots, cut into ½-inch slices
- 8 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 zucchini, cut into ¾–1-inch chunks
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Optional toppings: avocado, jalapeño, lime
Instructions
Meatballs
- Combine 1 pound pork, ⅓ cup rice, ¼ cup mint, ¼ cup parsley, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 minced cloves garlic, 1 egg, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
- Using moist hands, form into 1-inch meatballs, about 1 tablespoon each. Transfer to a sheet pan and set aside.
Soup
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add 1 diced onion and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes; season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
- Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 minced cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until a fond forms on bottom of pot, about 2 minutes.
- Add 3 sliced carrots then deglaze pot with 2 cups water, scraping up browned bits. Add 8 cups broth and 1 can diced tomatoes; bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to medium and simmer 5 minutes.
- Gently drop meatballs into soup, one at a time, then cover and let simmer 20 minutes.
- Gently stir in 1 zucchini cut into chunks and continue to cook, covered, until meatballs are cooked through, rice in meatballs is tender, and zucchini is fork-tender, 5–10 minutes more.
- Off heat, stir in ½ cup chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lime wedges and any desired toppings.
Equipment
Notes
This soup is gluten-free and dairy-free.
MINT: make sure the fresh mint you use is spearmint
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the recipeCalories: 268kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 21gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3.5gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 1250mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4.5g
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