This albondigas soup is made with beef and rice meatballs which are simmered in a seasoned tomato broth along with potatoes, carrots and zucchini. A hearty soup that both kids and adults will enjoy!
I make soup almost every week, my kids adore lasagna soup, chicken tortellini soup, cabbage roll soup, and this Mexican style albondigas meatball soup.
I’ve professed my love for soup many times, but sometimes I crave something different than your standard chicken noodle. This albondigas soup is a Mexican style soup loaded with veggies, potatoes and tender spiced meatballs. It’s full of bold flavors and totally satisfying! Looking for more amazing soup ideas? You can’t go wrong with beef barley soup, Zuppa Toscana or New England clam chowder.
albondigas ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need ground beef, rice, egg, garlic, cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper, olive oil, onion, carrots, potatoes, beef broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano and zucchini.
How do you make albondigas soup?
The first step is to make your meatballs. I use a combination of lean ground beef, cooked rice, garlic, cilantro and cumin. The beef mixture is formed into small balls. Make the soup base by sauteeing onions, carrots and garlic in olive oil. Next, add potatoes, beef broth, tomatoes and seasonings to the pot. Bring the vegetables and broth mixture to a simmer, then add the meatballs and finally the zucchini. Top with a little fresh cilantro, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for albondigas soup
- Be sure to cut your potatoes into small pieces so that they’ll be done at the same time as the meatballs.
- This Mexican meatball soup is written to be mild in terms of spice level. If you prefer hot and spicy food, you can add some crushed red pepper flakes or a few teaspoons of hot sauce to the broth.
- Albondigas soup makes great leftovers! Simply reheat your soup on the stove top or in the microwave.
- This soup is hearty enough to stand as a complete meal, but I often serve it with a side of bread or tortilla chips.
- Be sure that the soup does not come to a boil, or the meatballs can become tough.
- Mint is a traditional addition to albondigas soup. I typically don’t use it because my kids don’t care for it, but feel free to add a small amount of chopped fresh mint leaves to the meatballs if you like.
Many albondigas recipes call for uncooked rice in the meatballs. I prefer to use cooked rice because the meatballs don’t have to simmer for as long. I find that an extended simmer time to soften raw rice can sometimes cause the meatballs to break apart in the soup. You can absolutely use uncooked rice if you prefer, use 1/4 cup of uncooked rice instead of the 1/2 cup of cooked rice that this recipe calls for. Just be sure to adjust your cook time accordingly.
recipe faqs
Albondigas is the Spanish word for meatballs, often translated as “small meatballs”. The type of meatballs traditionally found in albondigas soup are made with ground beef and use rice as a binding agent.
There are a couple of tricks to keep your meatballs from falling apart in the soup. One is to use cooked rice. This allows the meatballs to cook for a shorter period of time, which makes them less likely to break apart. In addition, be sure not to over mix the meat mixture. If the meatballs have been over mixed, it can change the final texture when cooked and also make them more likely to split open.
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slow cooker albondigas soup
This recipe is a great candidate for the slow cooker! Simply add the prepared meatballs and the rest of the soup ingredients to the crock pot, then cook on low for 4-6 hours. If you’re worried about your meatballs falling apart in the slow cooker, you can briefly broil them before adding them to the pot so that they’ll hold their shape better.
flavor variations
While this recipe is delicious as-is, you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Protein: While less traditional, you can substitute ground chicken, ground turkey or ground pork for the beef.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add other veggies to the mix such as celery, green beans, spinach or corn.
- Seasonings: Add more flavor to your soup with fresh herbs such as green onions, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice. You can also top the finished dish with a dollop of sour cream or diced avocado.
Once you try this amazing soup, it’s sure to become part of your regular dinner rotation! The beef and rice meatballs come out so light and tender, and they pair perfectly with the savory broth, creamy potatoes and fresh veggies.
More soup recipes to try
- Mexican Chicken Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Ham Bone Soup
- Farro Soup with Meatballs
Albondigas Soup
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
- 1/2 cup cooked white rice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the soup
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 carrots peeled, quartered and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 6 cups beef broth
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes do not drain
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 large zucchini quartered and sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the meatballs. Place the beef, rice, garlic, egg, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Roll the meat mixture into 3/4 inch sized meatballs. Place the meatballs on a tray.
- For the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, beef broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin and oregano to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes. Drop the meatballs into the soup and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes more. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, then serve.
Notes
- Many albondigas recipes call for uncooked rice in the meatballs. I prefer to use cooked rice because the meatballs don’t have to simmer for as long. I find that an extended simmer time to soften raw rice can sometimes cause the meatballs to break apart in the soup. You can absolutely use uncooked rice if you prefer, use 1/4 cup of uncooked rice instead of the 1/2 cup of cooked rice that this recipe calls for. Just be sure to adjust your cook time accordingly.
Love this recipe
What a great recipe! Very easy to make and taste just like the mom and pop Mexican restaurant I get it from here in Huntington Beach! I like my flavors to be robust so I doubled the garlic, cumin, and oregano. Used less carrots and more potatoes. I also squeezed half a lemon juice into the pot and also a little squeeze in my serving.
Outstanding recipe!
This soup has become my all time favorite. It is so filling and hearty. I’m always thinking about when I’ll make it again!
Excellent
So yummy..Mexican food is my favorite and this did not disappoint! Restaurant quality at home, loved it! Sharing with my friends!
Thank you for this recipe! It was so simple and yet so delicious and flavorful. Now I don’t have to order it when I could easily make it at home. Definitely will be making this often.
If you want to get the soup made and then wait for a day before finishing up with the meatballs then brown them in a skillet for a few minutes before you refrigerate. That way you can prevent the meatballs from falling apart after long time being on your stove top
This is an amazing recipe !!!! Only thing I did differently was add El Pato tomato sauce instead of regular tomato sauce.
I made this soup tonight and my family loved it. Thanks so much for the great recipe. I will be making it again.
The best albóndigas, I ever made.
Delicious family loved it!
After preparing this soup per your recipe, I’ll never again order it in a res,bcs it will never be this good!
This is the most delicious albondigas I’ve ever tasted and I made it myself!! 😆
Win! Win!! Thank you 🙏
Is the zucchini a necessary item? I can’t stand it & just can not bring myself to eat it in any form.
It’s fine to omit it!
Easy to prepare, however it took me 2 hrs to make everything instead 2 hours. The recipe is easy for any level— I’m not too big of a cook. However, my boyfriend loved it and got an approval. We just felt the broth was missing something and we couldn’t really tell what. Overall 8/10!
I’ve been enjoying this recipe for a couple years now. I love the flavor and the fact that it’s relatively easy to make! I par bake my meatballs in my instant pot air fryer, which I find gives them a little more texture and depth of flavor. I just tried making this with some chorizo I had on hand and can’t tell you what a great tweak that was! I did half ground beef half chorizo and about 3/4-1 c of rice to absorb the extra moisture the chorizo brings. The chorizo really helped moisten up the meatballs. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe! 😋
I made this with ground chicken instead of beef. It is so delicious!! Great recipe.
Did u use beef or chicken broth?
I add chopped cilantro, salsa and lime juice to my bowl.
Really makes the soup taste delicious!