Albondigas Soup

 Nothing gets those food memories going like your mom's cooking. One of the dishes that exemplifies my mom's cooking is her Albondigas Soup, a Mexican meatball soup packed full of delicious and spicy meatball and veggies. My absolute favorite meal. When I visit home I always have my mom make me a huge batch of this soup. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... I might even sneak a bowl for a snack.

I've tried other albondigas soups, they don't even come close to my mom's. Her recipe is light yet filling and extremely flavorful, thanks to the wonderful addition of Serrano chiles, fresh cilantro, and fresh mint. That's right, mint. I know it doesn't seem like it should be in there, but trust me, this is what makes this soup amazing.

Since I now live across the country from my parents I needed to learn to make this soup for myself. I've made it a few times on my own now. Well, not entirely on my own. I always end up calling my mom and trying to figure out what I am missing or what step comes next. This is one of those recipes that I just learned by being in the kitchen and never really wrote down. But here it is in written form, in hopes that other people will share in the love of this amazing soup.

Albondigas Soup
For the meatballs:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup cooked white rice
1 egg
Salt and pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp oregano

For the soup:
2 onions, roughly chopped
5 carrots, thickly sliced
3 stalks celery, thickly sliced
2 green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 or 2 Serrano chiles, minced
1/2 head of cabbage, roughly chopped
2 (32 oz) cartons of chicken or vegetable broth
1 small can of tomato sauce 
Squeeze of fresh lemon
1 cup, divided fresh mint
1 cup, divided fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
Granulated garlic
Oregano


1) In a large pot add the broth and tomato sauce, once it begins to heat up add all of the vegetables EXCEPT the cabbage, also add half of the mint and cilantro and the spices

2) While the vegetables begin to cook assemble the meatballs. In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients, being careful not to over work them and make them tough. You can make whatever size meatball you like, but I try to make them about 1 1/2 inches round. Big enough to break into 2 bite size pieces. When they are assembled add them to the soup

3) Let the soup simmer, covered until the meatballs are cooked

4) Taste the soup and check for tenderness of vegetables and spice. Add more spices to suit your tastes. When the vegetables are almost done add the remaining mint and cilantro, cabbage, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Let the cabbage cook until tender

5) When the cabbage is tender and the other vegetables are done spoon the soup into bowls and serve with hot, buttered corn tortillas and enjoy!

What family recipes are your favorites?