Mexican
Gluten freeSopa de albóndigas
Meatball soup
Caldo de albóndigas: beef and pork meatballs with rice and mint simmered in a light tomato and vegetable broth
Caldo de albóndigas is comfort food in homes across Mexico, from Sonora to Mexico City, served at Sunday lunch or whenever someone has a cold, with warm tortillas and a squeeze of lime. Soft meatballs of beef and pork mince, studded with raw rice and fresh mint, cook gently in a tomato and chipotle broth with carrots, courgette and potatoes; the rice swells inside so the meatballs stay light. This recipe contains pork. The usual mistake is boiling hard: meatballs fall apart in a rolling boil, so keep the broth at a gentle simmer. They are done when they float, feel firm and reach 71 °C in the centre. Chef's tip: wet your hands before rolling each meatball; the mince doesn't stick and the surface comes out smooth, so they hold together in the broth.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 5
- Per serving
- 390 kcal
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 10 ½ oz beef mince
- 7 oz pork mince
- 1 ⅜ oz long-grain ricerinsed
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp fresh mintfinely chopped
- ¼ oniongrated
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cumin
For the broth
- ½ onion
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 7 ½ cups water
- 2 carrotssliced
- 2 potatoespeeled and diced
- 2 courgettesdiced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
To serve
- 2 limesin wedges
- 10 warm corn tortillas (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz beef mince, 7 oz pork mince, 1 ⅜ oz long-grain rice, 1 egg, 2 tbsp fresh mint, ¼ onion, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground cumin with your hands for 1 minute until sticky. With wet hands, roll into 20 balls the size of a walnut and chill while you make the broth.
Step 2: Blend 3 ripe tomatoes, ½ onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1 chipotle in adobo until smooth.
Step 3: Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pot over a medium heat, add the purée and fry for 5 minutes until it darkens. Add 7 ½ cups water and 1 ½ tsp salt and bring to the boil.
8 minStep 4: Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, add 2 mint sprigs and slide in the meatballs one by one. Don't stir for 10 minutes so they set.
10 minStep 6: Add 2 courgettes and simmer 10 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender and a meatball cut in half is cooked through to 160°F with the rice soft.
10 minStep 7: Taste for salt, ladle into bowls and serve with 2 limes and 10 warm corn tortillas.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sopa de albóndigas take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 5 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of long-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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