Editor's note: I first published today's recipe for albondigas in 2010. At the time, I rarely took step-by-step photos. I recently had to rephotograph the recipe for publication at the newspaper where I work as a designer and art director. Since April 2020, I have been licensing content from this blog for use in the food section weekly. I had my sister Ellie over to help, which made the day both fun and productive since it allowed me to concentrate on the photography and art direction while she concentrated on the food prep.
During the winter months when I was a child, coming home from school and being greeted by the beefy, minty scent of albondigas en caldo simmering on the stove felt like a big warm hug. Our family dropped the "en caldo" part of the dish name (which means "in broth") and simply called it albondigas (meatballs).
The defining flavor profile for this Mexican meatball soup is mint. I've seen some family recipes that swap in cilantro or parsley, but those herbs change the flavor profile. If you've attempted to make this dish before with a recipe that used an herb other than mint and you felt it didn't live up to the soup at your favorite Mexican restaurant, it was probably the lack of mint. The fresh herb is chopped finely and added to the meat mixture. As the meatballs cook, their juices and the essence of fresh mint seep into the water, creating a distinctive broth.
Another unique feature of albondigas is the addition of long-grain white rice instead of the breadcrumbs you'd find in Italian meatballs. Some families parboil the rice before adding it, but mine has always added the rice raw to the meat mixture. As the meatballs cook, the rice soaks up the flavored broth, adding texture and lightness to the meatballs.
As for the meat, you could use all ground beef or add some ground pork, as you might for Italian meatballs. The pork adds flavor and makes the meatballs even juicier.
Now, let's talk vegetables
We use vegetables in two ways in this dish: to season the broth and as a soup component. For the broth, it's onions, tomatoes, celery and garlic. The long version includes roasting and charring the tomatoes. But you can also use fire-roasted canned tomatoes as a time-saver without sacrificing the flavor you would get from roasting them yourself.After sweating and softening the vegetables in some oil, I transfer them to a blender and puree them until smooth. The tomato mixture goes back into a stock pot with water to simmer while I prepare the rest of the ingredients.
For the soup, the vegetables are a very traditional combination of potatoes, carrots and squash (chayote, Mexican squash or zucchini). A thing to remember when it comes to this soup is that it isn't caldo de res, a traditional beef and vegetable soup. Along with potatoes and carrots, that soup sees the addition of corn and green beans, sometimes also cabbage and peas. Restraint to not add the entire contents of your vegetable bin is best here – let the meatballs remain the star with just a couple of supporting players.
In addition to serving with a stack of warm tortillas to dunk into the soup, serve it the way many Mexican families do – with a heaping mound of arroz rojo added to the bowl.
How to make classic Albondigas en Caldo
Start by prepping the ingredients for the broth. Chop the onions.
Gather all the broth ingredients together. I like to measure everything out before getting to the stove so that all the ingredients are ready to go. It also helps ensure that you don't leave an ingredient out. For the broth, we'll need California chile powder, minced garlic, bouillon (I like to use Knorr chicken bouillon as I feel it enhances the beef by introducing another layer of flavor; use beef if you prefer), 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes, celery and onion.
Add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the warmed pot. I usually use high oleic safflower, but any neutral oil would work.
Once the oil is shimmering (but not smoking), add the onions, celery and garlic. Stir to sweat, not brown.
Sauté for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a blender along with a cup of water. Because it's still hot, remove the filler cap from the lid and place a towel over the hole. Puree until smooth.
Add a cup of water to the blender, swoosh to rinse, then pour it into the pot.
Pour in the remaining water and bring to a hard simmer. Stir in the bouillon and chile powder. Leave to simmer on low while you proceed with the meatballs.
Finely chop the mint leaves. Fresh mint is a must in my book for albondigas, but if you just can't get a hold of it, go ahead and use dried mint. If there is a Middle Eastern grocery store near you, buy your dried mint there. It's sold in cellophane bags (one bag fills my quart-size Mason jar) and makes the best mint tea. If I don't have fresh on hand when cooking, the dried mint from my local Mid-East market is what I reach for. Oh my goodness, it is leaps and bounds more fragrant and economical than the small commercial jars sold at the supermarket.
… I prefer using a 2-ounce cookie scoop. I find it is faster (you just dip into the meat once) and produces the most uniformly shaped meatballs. Depending on the consistency of size and weight, you should be able to get about 18 to 24 meatballs from 2 pounds of meat (I got 22 using my 2-ounce cookie scoop).
Once all the meatballs are formed, slowly lower them into the simmering broth one at a time; partially cover the pot.
After the meatballs have simmered for about 30 minutes, add the potatoes and carrots.
Continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Then you can add the squash if you wish (I didn't add it for this shoot because my pot was too small) …
Serve hot, optionally adding some rice to the bowl before squeezing a wedge of lemon or lime over the soup. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or mint. Have a stack of warm corn tortillas on the side for dunking.
Albondigas en Caldo
Mexican Meatball Soup
I stuck with a very traditional, kid-friendly meatball, potato and carrot version for the photographs today, but you can also add Mexican squash (whiter and sweeter than zucchini) or zucchini during the last 5 minutes of cooking. When choosing which type of potato to buy, stick with boiling potatoes. These medium starch to waxy varieties are thin-skinned and hold their shape when added to soups. New potatoes, red, white or even Yukon golds are good choices. Use the time while the meatballs are simmering in the broth to prep the vegetables for the soup. When prepping them, aim to cut them the same size, into about ½-inch pieces (faster cooking) or 1-inch pieces (heartier).Makes 6 to 8 servings
FOR THE BROTH:
Neutral oil (safflower, avocado, canola)½ medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14- to 15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes and their juices
8 cups water
4 tablespoons Knorr granulated beef or chicken bouillon (I prefer using the chicken)
1 tablespoon California chile powder (if you want it spicier, use New Mexico chile powder or 1 chipotle in adobo)
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
2 pounds ground beef (or 1½ pounds ground beef and ½ pound ground pork)⅔ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
¼ medium onion, grated
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
FOR THE SOUP:
5 cups peeled and cubed boiling potatoes (about 4 medium potatoes)2 large carrots, sliced
2 Mexican squash or zucchini, sliced, optional
FOR SERVING:
Cooked white or Mexican red rice, optional (see recipe for arroz rojo)Lemon or lime wedges
Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Fresh mint, roughly chopped
Corn tortillas
Heat a stockpot over medium. Pour in enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pot. Add onions, celery and garlic. Stir to sweat, not brown. Add the tomatoes (including their liquid) and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender along with a cup of water. Because it's still hot, remove the filler cap from the lid and place a towel over the hole. Puree until smooth. Return the tomato sauce to the stockpot and add a cup of water to the blender, swoosh to rinse, then pour it into the pot. Add the remaining water to the pot. Bring to a hard simmer, then add bouillon and chile powder. Leave to simmer on low while you proceed with the meatballs.
Place the meat in a large bowl. Add rice, onion, mint, oregano, parsley, cumin, black pepper, salt and eggs. Using your hands, gently incorporate all the ingredients. Avoid overworking the meat, which can compact it, resulting in tough meatballs. Roll 2 generous tablespoons of the meat mixture in your hands to form a meatball (a large cookie scoop helps with uniformly sized balls). Depending on the consistency of size and weight, you should be able to get about 18 to 24 meatballs from 2 pounds of meat (I got 22 using a 2-ounce cookie scoop).
Once all the meatballs are formed, slowly lower them into the simmering broth one at a time; partially cover the pot.
After the meatballs have simmered for about 30 minutes, add the potatoes and carrots. Continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Then add the squash, if using, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender but still firm.
Serve hot, optionally adding some rice to the bowl before squeezing a wedge of lemon or lime over the soup. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or mint. Have a stack of warm corn tortillas on the side for dunking.
Until next time, friends … stay warm!
xo, ani
You might also like (click on photo or title):
Arroz Rojo (Mexican red rice)
Pozole Blanco (white hominy soup)
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