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 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!
What are albondigas?
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.
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 which then get dropped into the soup. The soup is made with tomatoes, onion, carrots, zucchini, potatoes and spices. Once the meatballs have cooked in the broth, dinner is ready!
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.
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 recipe 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
Kathryn says
Loved this recipe! I used leftover quinoa instead of rice, baked the meatballs for about 15 minutes first to remove some of the fat, and substituted the mint instead of cilantro. Also added a few squeezes of lemon.
It was delicious!
Mary says
Yum!!
Sara says
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you for reporting back!
Ashley says
The ingredients don’t call for an egg but when you look at how to assemble the meat balls it says egg. Can the egg be optional?
Sara says
The ingredients do call for an egg, it’s the 4th item under meatball ingredients. The egg just helps the meat mixture bind together a little better, it’s fine to omit it if you prefer.
Timothy S says
Thanks for sharing! What about the carrots though?
Sara says
Sorry about that I updated the recipe!
Timothy S says
Thanks! Made it last night very tasty and leftovers today were even better!
Deb says
I love this soup filled with all the vegetables! A meal in a bowl!
Crissy says
This soup was ah-mazing! So much flavor, loved the meatballs and all the veggies! I may cook the meatballs in the oven for 10 minutes before adding them to the soup next time. There was a lot of fat on top, I guess I could just buy more lean ground beef! Can’t wait to make this again! Delicious!
Kara says
This sounds like the perfect winter warmer dish, will definitely give this a try
Dhemz says
oh, my goodness! Lots of good stuff in there. Looks tasty. Thanks for sharing!
Shatan says
You learn something different everyday! Albondigas means small meatballs. I’m a huge language buff. Anyways, this recipe looks so yummy! It seems easy! I might have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
This looks seriously perfect for cold winter days! I need to try to make this stat!
Catherine Santiago Jose says
First of all great texture and looks so yummy. I may say that the meat balls is truly a great addition on this soup. Wonderful recipe with a great twist.
Jasmine Hewitt says
never heard of this soup. might have to try it
Sophia says
Looks like it would be great to have on a cold day.
Brianne says
That is a wonderful soup to add to our dinner rotation! Everything looks so colorful and full of flavor!
Emmy says
I bought myself a slow cooker and have yet to use it.. I think this will be my first meal in it! This sounds amazing with tortilla chips!
Shannon says
Thanks for sharing the recipe! My family would love this…. looks like i’ve got a new dish for next week!
Jewels says
Soup is my comfort food! This looks sooooo good! Definitely gonna try it!
Chad says
I love soups especially in winter, will definitely try this one next week. Will let you know how it goes. Thank you so much.
Stacie says
I’ve never heard of this soup before, but I am definitely going to be making it! It looks so good!
E-world Cooking says
Very tasty recipe ,thank you so much for sharing with us.