Description
A comforting, traditional Mexican meatball soup featuring juicy beef and pork meatballs in a rich, roasted tomato broth with vegetables. Ready in under 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 large ripe tomatoes
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 cup green beans, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 6 cups beef or chicken broth (low-sodium)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place whole tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes until skins blister and char. Let cool, peel skins, and reserve pan juices.
- In a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs and milk; let sit for 5 minutes. Add ground beef, pork, egg, minced garlic, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix gently and roll into 1.5-inch balls.
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until translucent, then add carrots and green beans; cook for 5 minutes.
- Add peeled roasted tomatoes and their juices to the pot. Pour in broth, add smashed garlic cloves and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low. Gently drop meatballs into the broth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes without stirring too much.
- Add diced zucchini and simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes until tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or pepper. Remove bay leaves and garlic cloves. Stir in fresh cilantro.
- Serve hot in bowls, garnished with extra cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
Do not overmix the meat to avoid tough meatballs. Roasting the tomatoes adds depth of flavor. Keep the heat low when simmering to prevent meatballs from breaking apart. For a vegetarian version, swap meat for lentils and mushrooms.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 25
Keywords: albondigas soup, mexican meatball soup, comfort food, easy dinner, mexican recipe, beef and pork meatballs, tomato soup