Albóndigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)
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Bite-sized meatballs and vegetables simmered in a smoky, rich broth—this cozy Mexican meatball soup is deeply comforting and full of flavor.
This traditional Mexican albóndigas soup features tender meatballs simmered in a lightly spicy, tomato-rich broth with plenty of vegetables. It reminds me a bit of Italian wedding soup, with its mix of meatballs, broth, and veggies, but the smoky depth from chiles and tomatoes gives it a personality all its own.
The little meatballs are made in the traditional Mexican style, with rice mixed into the meat instead of breadcrumbs. It keeps them tender and light and gives them their signature texture. Albóndigas soup is plenty satisfying on its own, especially with some warm bread or cornbread on the side—and it tastes even better the next day.
What You’ll Need To Make Albóndigas Soup
- Fresh Mint, Garlic, Oregano, and Cumin: These aromatics and seasonings provide a fresh and earthy flavor base for the meatballs and broth.
- Meatloaf Mix: A mix of beef and pork (and sometimes veal) that make a flavorful base for meatballs. All beef or all pork may be used instead.
- Cooked Long-Grain White Rice: Gives the meatballs a wonderful fork-tender texture.
- Whole Peeled Tomatoes, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, and Chicken Broth: Form the vibrant, smoky base of the soup.
- Carrots, Russet Potatoes, and Zucchini: These vegetables add sweetness and heartiness, making the soup a complete meal—just be sure to add the zucchini at the end so it stays tender-crisp.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Combine the meatball ingredients. In a large bowl, beat the egg with the mint, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt. Add the meatloaf mix and cooked rice, then mash with your hands until evenly combined.
2. Shape and bake: With wet hands, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (it should make around 32), re-wetting your hands as needed to prevent sticking. Arrange on a greased roasting rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned, then set aside.
Pro Tip: Using a roasting rack is a great way to ensure the meatballs brown all the way around without sitting in their own grease.
3. Sauté aromatics: In a large (at least 5½-qt) Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until softened, about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more without browning.
4. Simmer and blend broth: Add the hand-crushed tomatoes, chipotle peppers, chicken broth, salt, cumin, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender.
Pro Tip: To blend without an immersion blender, transfer the soup to a standard blender in batches. Remove the center cap from the lid and cover with a kitchen towel to let steam escape, then blend.
5. Cook the vegetables: Stir in the carrots and potatoes, then bring the soup back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Pro Tip: Cut your potatoes and carrots into uniform, bite-sized pieces. This ensures they all finish cooking at the same time.
6. Add zucchini and meatballs: Add the zucchini and the meatballs, leaving any excess fat behind on the rack. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the meatballs are cooked through, then adjust the seasoning to taste.
7. Serve or store: Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and serve with lime wedges. The soup keeps well for up to 2 days in the fridge and can be frozen for longer storage.
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Albondigas Soup
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped mint (or cilantro)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 lb meatloaf mix (or half 80% lean ground beef/half ground pork–or all of one or the other)
- 1¼ cups (packed) cooked long grain white rice (see note)
For the Broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-oz) whole peeled tomatoes with their juices
- 2 to 3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, depending on size and how much heat you like
- 8 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 carrots, cut into ½-in pieces
- 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-in pieces (should be 2 cups)
- 1 large zucchini, cut into ½-in pieces
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set an oven-safe roasting rack on top. Spray the rack generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg with the mint, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt. Add the meatloaf mix and cooked rice, and mash with your hands until evenly combined.
- Wet your hands and roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls, about 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter—you should have about 32 meatballs. Arrange them on the prepared rack, re-wetting your hands as needed to prevent sticking. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned and almost cooked through; they’ll finish cooking in the broth. Set aside.
Make the Soup
- In a large (at least 5½-qt/5L) Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly; do not brown.
- Add the tomatoes (crushing them with your hands as you add them), chipotle peppers, chicken broth, salt, cumin, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until the broth is smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the soup to a blender in batches, remove the center cap from the lid, and cover with a kitchen towel to let steam escape. Blend until smooth, then return it to the pot.)
- Add the carrots and potatoes and bring the soup back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the zucchini and the meatballs, leaving any excess fat behind on the rack (you can gently scrape them if needed). Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the meatballs are cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- I use Veetee microwave basmati rice (the heat-and-eat variety that microwaves for 2 minutes) for convenience—it works beautifully and saves time. You can also use leftover rice or another brand of microwave long-grain white rice; just avoid parboiled/converted rice (such as Uncle Ben’s/Ben’s Original or other parboiled varieties), which stays too firm. Heat-and-eat microwave rice does not need to be microwaved before using.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: You can prepare the meatballs up to a day in advance and refrigerate them, or bake them and refrigerate for up to 2 days before finishing the soup. The full soup can be made up to 2 days ahead, cooled, and refrigerated in an airtight container; reheat gently on the stovetop before serving. For longer storage, freeze the soup (with the meatballs and vegetables) for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then freeze in freezer-safe containers, leaving a little space at the top for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop. Add fresh cilantro and lime just before serving.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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