By Luke Chavez
The Times 

Sopa de Albondigas

My Recipes|Luke Chavez

 

Luke Chavez

Sopa de Albondigas

Certain recipes have the power to transport. As a young boy, I would carefully watch whoever was in the kitchen, fascinated by the magic taking place as delicious meals came together on the stovetop.

One vivid memory is of my father rolling meatballs with his big hands and dropping them into a bubbling pot of soup.

Years later in Seattle, I would rediscover that soup as an adult. Stopping at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants for lunch one day, I was intrigued to read their special: Sopa de Albondigas, a homey meatball soup rarely seen on menus. As I took my fist bite of a plump meatball in a simple but flavorful broth, I instantly had a sensory flashback to my dad in the kitchen. Happy tears welled in my eyes, while the giant grin on my face seemed to get bigger with each spoonful. Recently, I have tested several recipes for this favorite soup, learning something new with each batch. Here I have a comforting and brightly flavored version, perfect for this sunny but not quite warm spring weather.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1-pound lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 large egg

¼ cup long grain white rice

3 garlic cloves, minced

⅓ cup mint leaves, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground chili, chipotle or California

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup canned chopped tomatoes

2 quarts chicken stock

2 carrots, peeled and chopped in 1-inch chunks

1 pound baby new potatoes, halved

1 large zucchini, chopped in 1-inch chunks

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Fresh limes

Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Directions:

In a large bowl mix the meat, rice, mint, salt, cumin, oregano, and black pepper until just combined. Roll mixture into 1-inch meatballs and set them aside on a plate.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot, over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili, and oregano. Cook another minute until garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock, then raise heat to bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer.

Add carrots, and potatoes to the soup, cook for 10 minutes. Next add the meatballs, gently dropping one at a time in a circular pattern around the pot. Try not to crowd the meatballs. Partially cover pan and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid and add zucchini, continue to cook, uncovered, for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Soup is ready when vegetables are very tender, and meatballs are cooked all the way through. Test with a thermometer or cut into one meatball to check doneness. Take pot off the heat and add a generous squeeze of lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Allow soup to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

Notes:

This is a wonderful soup to feature your favorite seasonal vegetables. The traditional version is with potatoes, zucchini and carrots, but you could experiment with substitutions like celery root, snap peas or parsnips. I usually use chunks of peeled russet potatoes, but for this week's version I had a bag of baby new potatoes, which were lovely. In the winter, I sometimes replace the zucchini with chunks of winter squash, such as Hubbard or delicata. For added heat, add chopped fresh poblano or jalapeño peppers with the onions when making the soup base.

This is a favorite Mexican homestyle recipe in our house. Special enough to impress guests, while being easy enough for a weeknight dinner. Satisfying with out being too heavy or rich, this is a soup I often find myself craving. I like to serve a side dish of garnishes for guests to add on top of their bowls. Chopped cilantro, white onion, radish, and jalapeños are my favorite garnishes, with plenty of lime wedges as well. Oh, and a pile of fresh homemade corn tortillas for dipping are always a good idea. Buen provecho. Enjoy!

 

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