Traditional Mexican albondigas soup is light and flavorful. Albondigas means "meatballs," and these seasoned Mexican meatballs stand out in a fragrant broth full of vitamin-packed vegetables such as carrots and onions. Albondigas soup is traditionally cooked with beef, pork or a combination of both. Lean ground turkey cuts the fat content of the soup. Instead of the breadcrumbs used in Italian meatballs, albondigas uses cooked rice. Brown rice can be used to boost the fiber and vitamin content. Make an easy albondigas soup for an introduction to light Mexican fare.
Step 1
Combine the ground turkey, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, garlic, poblano chili, eggs, onion, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and rice in a large bowl. Mix together with your hands until all ingredients are well-incorporated.
Step 2
Form the meat into 1-inch meatballs, placing the meatballs on a baking sheet after they are formed. Place the meatballs in the refrigerator.
Step 3
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots to the oil. Cook for around three minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender.
Step 4
Add the garlic, jalapenos and tomatoes to the vegetables. Saute for one minute.
Step 5
Pour the stock into the pot. Add the chili powder, salt and pepper.
Step 6
Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat then turn the heat to low. Allow the soup to simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Step 7
Add the meatballs and corn to the soup. Simmer, uncovered, for around 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Step 8
Serve the soup hot. Serve the lime and cilantro on the side as an edible garnish.
Tips and Warnings
- Serve the soup with crusty bread and a crispy green salad for a complete meal.
Things You'll Need
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red poblano chili, seeds removed, minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup cooked white or brown rice
- Large bowl
- Baking sheet
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Large stockpot
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, minced
- 2 fresh large tomatoes, diced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 3 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground pepper
- 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 2 limes, quartered
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
References
- "Feast of Santa Fe: Cooking of the American Southwest"; Huntley Dent; 1993
- "The Food of Campanile: Recipes from the Famed Los Angeles Restaurant"; Mark Peel et al.; 1997
- "Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook"; Myra Goodman et al.; 2006
- FoodNetwork.com: Turkey Albondigas Soup
- Food & Wine: Chicken Albóndigas Soup
- NewMexico.org: Albondigas Soup
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