Difficulty Level: easy
20 min Prep
40 min Cook
1 hr Total
4 Servings
Albóndigas en caldillo is a traditional Mexican meatball soup, with a tasty tomato-based broth.
Once cooked, the meatballs are tender and the veggies soft. On colder nights, the combination feels familiar and warming. It’s so good, it might just become one of your new favorite comfort-foods.
With so many fast food restaurants leaning into high protein meals, this meatball soup fits right in. It’s high-protein, delicious, and filling. It may require some prep, but you can have it on the table ready to eat in one hour, which is fairly standard for a home-cooked meal.
Check out the ingredients and cooking steps for this albondigas en caldillo recipe below.
Albondigas en Caldillo Recipe Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1/2 cup of cooked rice
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
- 6 cups of chicken broth
- 2 cups of tomato puree
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- Extra salt and pepper to taste
Albondigas en Caldillo Recipe Instructions
- In a bowl, mix ground beef, uncooked rice, egg, cilantro, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until just combined.
- Shape into 1-inch meatballs and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Cook the onion for 3 minutes until soft, then add garlic and cook for 60 seconds.
- Pour in broth and crushed tomatoes.
- Stir in cumin and oregano. Bring it all to a gentle simmer.
- Add carrots and potatoes. Let them simmer for 10 minutes so they start to soften.
- Carefully add the meatballs.
- Keep the broth at a steady simmer, not a hard boil. You want the meatballs to stay tender. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Taste the broth, add extra salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve hot with tortillas.
Nutrition
Calories: 350cal
Carbohydrate: 18g
Protein: 25g
Fat: 20g
Cholesterol: 90mg
Sodium: 600mg