Sopa de albondigas, albondigas en caldillo, or caldo de albóndigas is a delicious soup that is made of meatballs, veggies and broth. Typically, this Mexican meatball soup is made with ground beef, but I make a swap with ground chicken and honestly, it's wonderful. Light meatballs and vegetables in a flavorful tomato broth, that all comes together in under an hour.
This recipe is inspired by one of my family's recipes, but I switched up the albóndiga (meatball) from the more traditional way of making them. If you are a fan of beef, feel free to swap out lean ground beef and beef broth for the ground chicken and chicken stock. This bowl of soup is the ultimate comfort food dish that is also nourishing for body.
Double the recipe for a large family gathering, and make sure you serve the soup with tortillas and a squeeze of lime on the side, it's a must for this deliciosa sopa de albóndigas.
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Ingredients
Albóndigas (Meatballs):
- Ground chicken
- White onion
- Bread crumbs
- Raw white rice
- Fresh cilantro or dried
- Fresh mint or dried
- Cumin
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Egg
- Tomato paste
Caldo (Broth):
- White Onion
- Fresh jalapeños or 1 small can jalapeños
- Garlic cloves
- Diced tomatoes
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Bay leaf
- Chicken or beef stock or a mix of both
- Carrots
- Yellow potatoes
- Zucchini
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Mix all the albondigas ingredients in a large bowl.
- Form small 1-inch meatballs by using a spoon or cookie scoop to measure. The mixture will be sticky, so wet your hands before making the albondigas. Set aside on a sheet pan and begin making the broth.
- Make the caldo (broth) by placing a large pot or large dutch oven, over medium heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the onion and jalapeños, cooking them until soft.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add in the cans of diced tomatoes and baking soda.
- Add the stock, and bring to a boil. Slowly add in your meatballs, keeping the broth at a constant boil.
- Once all the meatballs are in the pot, add the carrots, potatoes, and zucchini.
- Lower heat to medium-low and bring broth to a simmer. Cover the pot and let cook for 25 minutes on low.
- After 25 minutes, check that the temperature of the meatballs, ensure it has cooked to at least 165˚F.
Substitutions
- Ground Chicken - you can use any ground meat or combination of ground meat as an substitution. Just make sure it's cooked to the right temperature.
- Vegetarian - sub ground meat with 2 packages of Impossible Ground "Meat" and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Soup pot (olla grande)
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cookie scoop or spoon to make albóndigas pequeñas (small meatballs)
Storage
The albondigas soup will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days. You can also freeze the soup for up to three months, just portion your desired serving size and place into an airtight freezer friendly container. Defrost in the microwave, or place frozen soup containter under warm water until frozen soup releases from container. Place in soup pot and cover. Cook on low until soup has reheated.
Top tip
Do not over work the meatballs. Scoop, and form with a light touch, wetting hands with water helps. Gently place meatballs into pot slowly, so that the broth maintains a boiling point.
FAQ
Sopa de albondigas, albondigas en caldillo, or caldo de albóndigas is a delicious soup that is made of meatballs, veggies and broth. Typically, this Mexican meatball soup is made with ground beef.
Albóndigas soup can be found all over Latin America, not just Mexico. Albóndigas originated in Spain and was brought to Mexico by the conquistadors.
To ensure your meatballs are cooked through use a meat thermometer. Remove one meatball and place thermometer into the middle. The temperature should be 165˚F
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Chicken Meatball Soup - Sopa de Albóndigas
Equipment
- 1 Stovetop
Ingredients
Albondigas (Meatballs):
- 1 lb ground chicken turkey, pork or beef
- ¼ cup finely diced white onions
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons raw white rice
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried
- ⅛ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Caldo (Broth):
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 fresh jalapenos seeds and stems removed or 1 can jalapenos, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups chicken or beef stock or a mix of both
- 2 carrots diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 yellow potatoes diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 zucchini diced (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- Mix all the albondigas ingredients in a large bowl. Form small 1-inch meatballs by using a spoon or cookie scoop to measure. The mixture will be sticky, so wet your hands before making the albondigas. Set aside on a sheet pan and begin making the broth.
- Place a large pot or large dutch oven, over medium heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced onion and jalapeños to the pot, cooking them until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add in the cans of diced tomatoes and baking soda. Let cook for two minutes.
- Add the stock, and bring to a boil. Slowly add in your meatballs, keeping the broth at a constant boil. Once all the meatballs are in the pot, add the carrots, potatoes, and zucchini. Lower heat to medium-low and bring broth to a simmer. Cover the pot and let cook for 25 minutes on low. After 25 minutes, check that the temperature of the meatballs, simply insert a meat thermometer into the middle of the meatball and ensure it has cooked to at least 165˚F.
- Serve with a of side of tortillas de maíz (corn tortillas), slathered in butter and sprinkled with salt and of course you will need a few lime wedges.
Food safety
- Cook broth to 212˚F, then cool before serving
- Cook meatballs to 165˚F
- When reheating ensure your soup reaches at least 165˚F
- To cool soup for storage: cool down to 70˚F within the first two hours.
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