Description
Make a traditional, hearty Mexican meatball soup featuring tender beef meatballs simmered in a rich, flavorful tomato broth with vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup uncooked white rice
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (optional, for meatballs)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, uncooked rice, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 minced garlic clove, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 cup cilantro, and mint if using. Mix gently with your hands until just combined; do not overmix.
- Form the mixture into small meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter. You should have about 18 to 20 meatballs. Set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the 1/2 chopped onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes (with their juice). Add the sliced carrot, diced potato, oregano, and cumin. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Gently drop the raw meatballs one by one into the simmering broth. Be careful not to crowd them.
- Once all meatballs are added, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice inside is tender.
- Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve hot.
Notes
- For a richer broth, you can brown the meatballs lightly in oil before adding them to the simmering liquid, but this adds extra steps.
- If you prefer a smoother broth, you can blend a portion of the broth with a small piece of tomato before adding it back to the pot.
- You can substitute ground pork or a mix of beef and pork for the ground beef.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 26
- Cholesterol: 75