Comfort Food Classics: Albóndigas en Caldo (Mexican Meatball Soup)

This hearty Mexican meatball soup with veggies simmered in a clear broth is just what you need when you're in the mood for some good old-fashioned comfort food like your abuelita used to make.

Traditional Mexican Albóndigas Soup:

Albóndigas en Caldo is a traditional Mexican meatball soup simmered with carrots, potatoes, and calabacitas (zucchini) in a clear broth. It's a comforting soup for when you're craving a home-cooked meal or something to warm you up on a cold winter's day. And it's also my all-time favorite soup.

The flavor-packed albóndigas made with lean ground beef, onion, tomato, garlic, serrano chile, and oregano add a ton of flavor to the clear broth, which is also seasoned with a little extra oregano and fresh cilantro.

Once the soup is served, don't forget to garnish with chopped cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a spoonful of your favorite salsa. Two of my favorite salsas include my Chile de Molcajete (roasted tomatillo & árbol chile salsa) and Salsa Macha (an oil-based garlic & árbol chile salsa). And don't forget to have plenty of warm corn tortillas on hand.

I will forever remember the first time I attempted to make albóndigas on my own. It was one of my biggest kitchen fails ever! I cooked one pound of meatballs in about ten quarts (40 cups) of water. (The recipe I'm sharing today calls for 2-1/4 pounds of meatballs in 16 cups of water.) No amount of salt or beef bouillon was enough to season the insane amount of water I added to my soup. And I also went a little overboard on the oregano. As I was adding a sprinkle of oregano to the broth, the stopper fell out and out poured at least half a bottle of oregano. It was a horrific mess! And to make matters worse, I was expecting company for dinner and had no other food in the house to feed them. Thankfully we ended up ordering pizza, and my friends were no-show's to dinner.

How to make authentic Mexican albóndigas: 

But, as we say in Spanish, "La practica hace al maestro." (Practice makes perfect.) It took me a couple of attempts, but I finally mastered my albóndiga recipe which borrows elements from both my grandparents' recipes and my suegra's. I add old-fashioned oats to my albóndiga mixture as an added binder, just like my abuelito used to do, I also add chopped onion and tomato like my suegra taught me, and I always add lots of veggies just like my grandma.

Yield: 8 servingsAuthor: Leslie Limón

Albóndigas

This hearty Mexican meatball soup with veggies simmered in a clear broth is just what you need when in the mood for some good old-fashioned comfort food like your abuelita used to make.

prep time: 20 MINScook time: 60 MINStotal time: 80 mins

ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 2-1/4 lbs. lean ground beef 
• 1/3 cup long-grain rice, uncooked 
• 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats 
• 1/3 cup dried bread crumbs 
• 1-1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed 
• 2 large eggs 
• 3 roma tomatoes, finely chopped 
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 chile serrano, finely chopped (optional) 

For the soup:

• 16 cups water 
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 
• 6 medium yukon gold potatoes. peeled and roughly chopped 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed
• 4 medium Mexican calabacitas 
• Chopped cilantro (for garnish) 
• Lime wedges (for garnish) 

instructions

1. Combine the ground beef, rice, oats, and dried bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl; season with salt, black pepper, and crushed Mexican oregano. Stir in the eggs, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and serrano chile until completely combined. Divide and shape meat mixture into 1-1/2-inch meatballs. 
2. In a Dutch oven or in stock-pot, pour in 16 cups of water. Carefully drop in the albóndigas, one at a time. Resist the urge to stir! (You don't want to break up the albóndigas.) Add a handful of fresh cilantro. Bring meatballs to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Cover and reduce heat to low: let simmer for about 20 minutes. 
3. Add the carrots and potatoes. Remember not to stir! Season broth with crushed Mexican oregano and coarse salt to taste. Cover and let simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add in the Mexican calabacitas. Taste broth and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes until the calabacitas are cooked through. 
4. To serve, ladle into bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, a spoonful of your favorite salsa, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve with plenty of warm corn tortillas. 

http://www.lacocinadeleslie.com/2010/02/caldo-de-albondigas-tale-of-recipes.html

©La Cocina de Leslie

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