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Authentic Mexican Albondigas Soup: Hearty Meatball Soup for Weeknight Dinner

Close-up of a white bowl filled with flavorful albondigas soup featuring meatballs, carrots, zucchini, and potatoes.
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Make this authentic Mexican Albondigas Soup, featuring tender beef and pork meatballs simmered in a savory tomato broth with fresh vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and zucchini. This hearty meatball soup is a comforting, flavorful meal perfect for your weeknight dinner rotation.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion (for meatballs)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (for meatballs)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (for meatballs)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (for meatballs)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (for meatballs)
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1/2 medium white onion, chopped (for broth)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (for broth)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine ground beef, ground pork, rice, egg, 1/4 cup onion, 1 clove minced garlic, oregano, cumin, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Mix gently with your hands until just combined; do not overmix.
  2. Form the mixture into small, uniform meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter. You should have about 20-24 meatballs.
  3. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the 1/2 medium chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic for the broth. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
  5. Carefully drop the raw meatballs into the simmering broth one at a time.
  6. Add the sliced carrots and diced potatoes to the pot. Return the liquid to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
  7. Add the diced zucchini to the soup. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 10-15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
  8. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
  9. Serve the flavorful Mexican meatball soup hot, garnished with extra fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

  • For a low-carb or keto albondigas soup, omit the rice from the meatball mixture and add extra vegetables like chayote squash instead of potatoes.
  • You can use all ground beef or all ground turkey for the meatballs if preferred.
  • To prevent meatballs from falling apart, mix the meat gently and ensure the broth is simmering, not boiling rapidly, when you add them.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delishsymphony.com/albondigas-soup-authentic-mexican-meatball-soup/