Make albondigas with this quick and easy recipe that tastes delicious. A mix of tender carrots and potatoes with flavorful meatballs and salsa makes a hearty, delicious soup that can be prepared in no time.
This recipe is amazing! Makes for a very hearty meal. After reading some of the other posts I added some garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper and used beef cosomme intead of cubes. I also added a can of crushed tomatoes, celery, zucchini and a small handful of rice. Once everything was mixed together and boiling I trasferred it to the oven to stop the rice sticking to the bottom of the pot. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Read MoreAdd rice to meatballs instead of bread crumbs. Add minced onions and cilantro to meatballs . Add 1/2 beef broth and 1/2 water. No milk. No Salsa just lg can of diced tomatoes. Celery sliced very thinly can be added. And cilantro is NOT an option it is necessary in both the meatballs and broth.
Read MoreAdd rice to meatballs instead of bread crumbs. Add minced onions and cilantro to meatballs . Add 1/2 beef broth and 1/2 water. No milk. No Salsa just lg can of diced tomatoes. Celery sliced very thinly can be added. And cilantro is NOT an option it is necessary in both the meatballs and broth.
This recipe is amazing! Makes for a very hearty meal. After reading some of the other posts I added some garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper and used beef cosomme intead of cubes. I also added a can of crushed tomatoes, celery, zucchini and a small handful of rice. Once everything was mixed together and boiling I trasferred it to the oven to stop the rice sticking to the bottom of the pot. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Use low sodium beef broth instead of the boullion cubes....Also, throw in any leftover vegies you might have too. Also, we use 1/2 Cup tomato juice (low sodium_and 1/2 Cup water
WOW! Not sure why everyone wants to make changes. The whole family really enjoyed this recipe. It sounds too 'unspiced' but for what ever reason it came out perfect! I used Hernadez Medium Salsa & Italian Bread Crumbs then salt & peppered each bowl to taste. This stays way up on the list!
Good, authentic-tasting recipe. Added some canned corn kernels I had on hand but otherwise followed the instructions to a t: very easy!
This is a OK meatball soup. But as I am mexican and being raised on mexican food, thats all I can really say about this soup. It was bland and was missing a whole lot of veggies. I use corn fresh off the cob, squash, fresh green beans, and way more seasonings. Also the key ingredient in Albondigas is rice in the meatballs with 1-2 eggs mixed in. You need tomatoes boiled and crushed in the broth. Oh and Garlic. I tried this just out of curiosity and was amused at best. Sorry.
Really enjoyed this recipe. I made a few changes: used leeks rather than onion, added cajun spice (paprika, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, etc), salt and plenty of pepper. I also threw in some zucchini and lentils. Delicious! I made a large pot so my husband took some to work to share with co-workers as did I. I haven't heard what feedback he received yet, but everyone LOVED this soup. I would definitely recommend it. Lovely Mexican soup, though I know the spices I added weren't traditional.
This was reeeaaallly good. I followed the recipe but used low sodium beef broth instead of bouillon. I don't understand why so many reviewers want to tweak the meatballs. They are delicious as written. They read like they will be bland, but do not turn out that way at all. Cooking the meatballs in the broth adds so much to the flavor of this soup. Be sure to toss in mucho cilantro when you ladle this up. Wow. So simple and so good!!
For people on restricted salt diets, use low sodium beef broth instead. The flavor will be great. Use lean meat to reduce the fat content.
I'm not a fan of soups, but I decided to make this when it was cold & raining. I followed the recipe as written, and it came out wonderful. I really enjoyed the flavor of it. I'm definitely going to make this again. It's a keeper. I'd recommend others to try it :) UPDATE APRIL 2011: I added 1 TSP of Garlic Powder, Paprika, & Cayenne Pepper. I also added celery; it adds such a nice flavor. I don't add the salsa in the pot anymore. It tastes good w/o it, but I place the salsa on the table so we can add as much salsa as each person would like to their own bowl. BTW, the fresh cilantro as garnish is GREAT! Try it out at least once.
In my Mexican-American family recipe, my mother adds just a little bit of long grain white rice in the meatball mixture. Just sprinkle and mix til you think it look's like a good ratio, and drop into the simmering soup. Yumm.
Delicious! I didn't have onions or bouillon so I added an envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix instead of the onion and bouillon. I also added 3/4 c. of tomato juice and about 1/2 of homemade salsa I had left over in my fridge. This was so yummy. The cilantro is what makes it, so make sure you add it fresh at the end. Yum! This is the 1st 5 Star rating I've ever given something on all recipes. It exceeded my expectations!
this was very good. i added some cilantro and mexican seasoning and a shake of garlilc powder to the meat because it sounded bland. the broth was delicious. after a cold rainy little league game, my nephew came home and ate 2 bowls. so did i. will definately make again.
this was sooo darn excellent. I am just in love! My family totally enjoyed it. And I could make it again. I did follow it to a T but with one minor tad issue. I used this recipe to use up some turkey meatballs I had. But other wise, I'd make again with the beef. But for anyone that has frozen meatballs just sitting in the freezer waiting to be used...this is the recipe I'd go to in a heartbeat. The spice of the salsa was very nice and warming to the body. We didn't find it at all overpowering, but on a freezing cold day out side. The perfect warm you to the bones type of recipe. I had to make a double batch for my family. And I can say, this will be a winter staple in my house. Thanks very much for this awesome delightful soup.
This was the first time I've had albondigas. It is now one of my favorites. I added corn, tsp of garlic powder, 1/4 of cayenne pepper, and 1/4 of paprika. So good. I'm going to add other vegies next time as well.
We loved this recipe, thank you. I made one change - I didn't use meatballs as we don't care for them very much, so I bought Hot Italian Sausage and made them into balls, it was very good.
Will not make again. This was not good at all. Did not like the Salsa in the broth.
This turned out great! Made some changes though, added 1/2 pound ground pork to meat mixture along with a large pinch garlic salt, large pinch ground coriander and onion powder, also added about 1/2 c finely chopped cilantro to the meat before making into balls. To the broth I added 2 stalks of celery, a small pinch of oregano, and a small pinch of cumin and some zucchini about 20 minutes after the broth had been simmering. Also towards the last 20 minutes of cooking I added about another 1/2 cup of finely chopped cilantro to the broth, and about a 1/2 cup of rice. Delicious and flavorful!
Hubby said a 5 star, but I'm not sure. My problem is getting passed the meatballs in a soup. This is a hearty soup that doesn't hit bottom right away, so watch how much you eat. We like cilantro, but not sure it really needs it so remember it says optional. My husband did add frozen corn when making & we both liked that addition, along with some garlic.
This recipe appealed to me on this dark and dreary day and since I had all the ingredients, I decided to try it. I used a 4qt pot, so adjusted the other ingredients accordingly. Use our local grocery store's brand salsa which added a little spice to the soup. The meatball recipe sounded a little bland, so I seasoned that up also. With a loaf of French bread, this truly hit the spot!
Great recipe! to make it a little more healthy use ground turkey, it's delicious!
Delicious! I increased the veggies and water a little but other than that, no changes and it was amazing! I will be making this many many times in the future!
Great winter soup to warm you up. We are at a staggering -18 degress right now! I put all of the ingredients in my slow cooker this morning (I made the meatballs in advance) and it is so flavorful and the meatballs are so tender. I used homemade salsa, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Thanks for a great soup recipe!
This recipe was okay I guess when it comes to Albondigas I like making them the way my mom showed me how to make them instead of bread crumbs USE RICE! that's actually what im used to making them with and grated onion gives the meat a lot of flavor, garlic and sometimes ill add very small small chopped up zucchini to the meat ball and salt and pepper and to the broth ill add onions carrots potatoes and again zucchini...No Salsa!!! and def no milk! a bay leaf and a very small amount of tomato sauce and a small amount of cabbage 5-8 mins before the soup is done and its AMAZINGLY GOOD.
If you like a good spicy soup this is it. I somehow left out the hamburger when I made it and it was just great....just bought a small bottle of salsa and used the whole thing.....
This was excellent and came together really fast. After reading some of the reviews, I decided to add some seasoning to the meatball mixture - some chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion powder. I had no beef boullion so I just used water and added some chopped celery and garlic. My salsa seemed to cook down quite a bit so I added another 1/2 cup shortly before serving so I'd have some chunks of tomato in the soup. Very flavorful and delicious!
this is delicious! I added a bit of leftover parsnip, and didn't have seasoned bread crumbs - so used plain ones with a bit of italian seasoning. Delicious!
This was a great and easy recipe. I added some cumin and I seasoned the meatballs with salt, pepper and garlic. I also added minced garlic to the soup and some corn. I placed the cilantro in the soup instead of using it as a garnish. I can't wait to make this again!
I made this last night. This will be my new 'Vegetable Beef' soup! I put everything in the crockpot and put in on low over night. It smelled so good at 6:30am I had to try it! Definitely a keeper! Tonight, just heat and eat! Can't wait for dinner!
Loved it. Followed previous suggestions of adding some paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder. My husband wouldn't stop raving about how good it smelled while cooking. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
my husband had never had albondigas he didn't even know what they were my grandmother always made them for us i couldn't remember how to make them and so I found this recipe and I gotta say it was great we loved it. i just added a little lime juice when I served them and with some warm tortillas this was great. will use again and again thanks
Absolutely perfect just as written. The only thing I almost always add to any Mexican dish at the end....a generous squeeze of lime juice. Turns the broth into something magical. What an easy and quickly prepared recipe!
outstanding! I followed the recipe above using beef broth instead of boullion and adding a zucchini and small can of corn as other reviewers suggested. I also bought the lime and fresh cilantro which really makes it, but also ate a few bowls without and it was still outstanding. My picky father and boyfriend loved this soup. Thanks for the recipe!
Followed the directions exactly as is and it was great!! Lots of flavor and very hearty. My husband had the great idea of throwing in some crushed tortilla chips before serving and that made it even better.
Very good, I just felt like it could use more seasoning in addition to what is written. It was just missing something- a little kick.
This was yummy and easy. I had some frozen meatballs that I needed to use so I threw them in instead of making my own. The soup was tasty with just enough spice. Next time I make this I'll try the meatballs from scratch.
This soup is wonderful but I found it a bit bland and added a mix of dried beans which made even more hardy and tasty. We ate it with a freshly baked loaf of bread - perfect dinner on a cold night... Thank you for the recipe...
Bravo! I think this recipe is delicious and great! It really doesn't need any changes unless you prefer ground turkey over beef or need to watch your sodium intake.
This soup was delicious! Due to the fact that I didn't have any salsa on hand, I had to make a change to the recipe. Instead I added a large can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, garlic, green pepper and cumin to replace the salsa. I also did not have bouillion cubes, so I used a can of beef broth. Even with having to substitute the salsa, the soup was great! For someone who has kids and doesn't want the soup spicy, the plain diced tomatoes was a good substitution...
EXCELLENT! I was making this soup for about 10 adults so I changed accordingly and got nothing but RAVE reviews from everyone! 1 quart water 2 quarts Swanson's Beef Broth 8 carrots, sliced 1 cup celery (chopped in bite size pieces) 5 large potatoes, peeled and diced 1 medium onion, diced 3 cups salsa (I used Medium and it had quite a kick to it) 2 1/2 pounds ground beef 2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs 2/3 cup milk chopped fresh cilantro I followed the cooking directions right from the recipe... I didn't feel the need to add additional spices like some of the other reviewers because I felt like the salsa would be enough and it really is.
For a more authentic Mexican flavor, substitute crushed tortilla chips for the seasoned bread crumbs. Use a beef broth to reduce the sodium instead of high sodium bullion cubes. Serve with lime or lemon wedges to squeeze into the soup to add flavor. You will enjoy the reduced sodium and extra zip from the juice. Oh, of course cilantro leaves as a garnish. This soup is a house favorite.
Very tasty, easy recipe. I added fresh minced garlic, salt, pepper and ground cumin to the meatballs. Of course, I garnished it with cilantro for my family and we sprinkled lime into it as well. With avocado and tortillas on the side, it made a great meal and all my kids loved it. Highly recomnended.
My family loves it, You can make any kind of changes and it would taste so good. But food for thought I would go low sodium because the bouillon cubes are high in sodium. Also good with turkey for anyone who wants the low cal way of doing things!!! enjoy oh yeah by the way if you do the recipe as is it wont cost you over ten bucks !!!
Excellent. No left overs- and nobody even bothered with the tortillas. My 4 year old son was in the clean plate club twice in a row with this one.
The broth and veggies were right, but the meatballs were bland. The flavor of the broth wasn't enough to give the meatballs a distinct flavor. It tasted like ground beef and nothing more.
Awesome!!! I added a can of stewed tomatoes too! And served it with warm tortillas, thanks for the recipe!!!!
Fast, simple and delicious. I used only 1/3 of the recommended medium onion. The salsa had plenty of onions in it and a whole onion seemed like a bit much. Turned out terrific! Will definitely make this again!
i didn't think this had a lot of flavor, but I'm wondering if that was because of the type of salsa I used. I did brown the meatballs before putting them in, the whole raw hamburger kinda grossed me out......
This is a good recipe and I'll definitely make it again and again! I had left over Mexicorn and a couple of parsnips I added just because I needed to get rid of them - and a little more veggie isn't going to hurt anyone! Overall, I don't think it is necessary to change anything as it is good!
Que sabroso!My sisters and i loved it, and I love how cheap it is to make. The only thing I had to specifically buy was the ground beef. Everything else was on hand or improvisable. Lack of bread crumbs equaled a couple pieces of bread crumbled up with a packet of taco seasoning. I wish I had had hotter salsa, but my sisters like the mild version we had. Thanks for the great recipe!
This was great!! I followed the recipe exactly as written, except that I added some chopped green pepper I had in the fridge, and fresh garlic, which I add to almost everything. The only change I might make is to use mild salsa, only because we don't like so much heat. Nevertheless, it was wonderful and easy to make.
Very delicious soup and so so easy to make! I made it exactly as written and everyone loved it.
We love this soup. I've always used ground turkey for the meatballs. I added zucchini & corn to mine. Just the best!
This was pretty good. It took a little longer than I thought it originally would. I had homemade salsa in the fridge, so I used that. And, I was out of seasoned breadcrumbs so I added some seasonings to some plain bread crumbs. The meatballs turned out very good with it. My potatoes were kind of small, so I added an extra potato. When it was done I expected a little more flavor as the potatoes and carrots were a little bland. So, at the end I added some garlic and onion powder, dried parsley, and salt and it was perfect. I didn't have the cilantro, which is probably the traditional way to serve this. But, I always have to top my soup with something and served it with oysters crackers and some cheese. Even though, it was not meant to be served in this fashion, I apologize to the submitter, but it made a good tasting cheeseburger vegetable soup. I definitely would have served with the cilantro, instead, if I would have had it.
YUMMY...Perfect for a cold winter night. I cheated all around by using frozen meatballs. Used corn instead of carrots (kids preference) It was quick and easy.
I make this frequently and everyone loves it. I make the meatballs tiny so they last until the pot is gone. I also process red and orange pepper, celery and carrots to give the broth more flavour.
Very flavorful. Kids to adults all asked for seconds. Will definitely make again - a double batch!
Made tonight for my sick 3 year old. He's not a big fan of soup but loves meatballs so I thought it would be a good way to get some soothing broth in him. Added pieces of ginger, garlic and spinach as well as salt and pepper to the broth. Finely diced half a shallot and cilantro adding them to the meatball mixture before forming. The soup is very good my son loved it!
Wow! Im from a border town in AZ..and this almost brought tears to my eyes..It is simply Wonderful comfort food! I was a little skeptical at first but it is simple,delicious,and budget friendly. This truly has an authentic taste and you will not be disappointed for trying this soup. The only thing I did different was add zucchini and a can of drained corn... REMEMBER: Add lots and lots of cilantro!!
This soup was delicious! We froze extra meatballs for the next time we make this. It was easy and fast to make. My kids loved that the meatballs cooked in the soup (they were worried at first). Thank you Belen for an amazing recipe!!!
Flavorful and Hearty! Made a few minor modifications: only 1 tbsp of hot salsa, added 1 tsp of garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, and since my husband doesn't care much for cilantro, I added a handful of chopped parsley after it was finished cooking. I might added another onion next time since I couldn't taste it very much. This is so easy and great for a cold winter day. I was asked to make this again next week. Thank you for posting this family pleaser!
Made this a couple of weeks ago kids loved it and went back for a second bowl. Only thing we added was a spoon full of sour cream to each bowl and some crumbled tortila chips. Sooooo YUMMY
The dish does not taste like I'm eating a jar of salsa! I totally expected it to. So easy to make. The only thing was the meatball, it came out rather hard, but maybe it's supposed to be this way. If I make this again, I will add an egg and more bread crumbs. All in all it was a very good recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Made it. Loved it. Husband and kids enjoyed it. Eaten with warn corn torillias. I will make this again.
I made this last night for dinner, it is so good!! My family loved it, even my two picky kids liked it! The only things I added were celery, a can of crushed tomatoes and garlic powder, it is sooooo good. I am absolutely adding this to our regular dinner line up!!
The only change I made was to use beef broth instead of bouillon, but it turned out tasting like crummy cafeteria food. Will not make again.
This was really good. I used some of my home made hot salsa which gave it amazing flavor. As per other reviewers I added more seasoning to the ground beef (minced onion, garlice powder, salt & paprika)
I changed it a little by subtracting 1 cup of water and the bullion cubes and substituting with a can of beef broth. I also used a quarter of a taco seasoning packet in the broth and a quarter in the meatballs. Yumm!!!!!!!
Very delicious! I made it with salsa verde rather than the regular red salsa and beef broth instead of bouillion cubes. I also topped with some shredded cheese and sour cream. Next time I would be sure to buy a leaner ground beef since 85% made it a bit greasy. Also, it makes way more meatballs than there is broth so I would either add more liquid or less meat. Will definitely make again though. The kids really liked the meatballs!
I added cumin, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and bell pepper and it was awesome. Very good, thanks!
Instead of the salsa I used 1 can Rotelle extra hot tomatoes and 1/3 c ketsup. I made the meatballs bite size so you got one in every spoonful of the soup. Very good and spicy!
This recipe arrived on a cold windy day which made it a great soup day. So I used what I had, ground turkey rather than beef (added a bit of raisins and crushed garlic to the turkey meatballs), frozen green peppers, a can of chopped tomatoes and a packet of taco seasoning mix rather than salsa, and a can of black beans for extra protien. It was delish ! Thanks.
This was delicious! I added 1 can diced tomatoes and a little bit of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and pepper. 4/29/14 - Made it again with the same additions ... still tasty, but not quite 5 stars.
I added some spices to this, garlic powder, season salt and cilantro. I also added a bit of chicken broth.
This is so easy and so tasty. My mother in law has been making albondigas for a very long time and this recipe tastes very close to hers. I am excited to make it again for my husband. We served it with warm flour tortilla- delicious!
Very nice recipe. My husband loves it and can't stop complimenting me on it. The only change I made was adding one more potato to the recipe for a total of three. I also used a mild salsa and it turned out perfectly! Thanks!
Very good soup! I used a homemade chipotle salsa. I also spiced up the meatballs with fresh cilantro, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and mexican oregano. Very hearty and tasty!!
Absolutely outstanding! I added: 1 more potato, 4 stalks celery sliced thin, cumin, garlic sea salt, black pepper and cilantro to meatballs, used 2 XL beef bouillon cubes, and garnished with cilantro and a squeeze of lime. 5 stars all the way!
My go-to for comfort food. I've tried several recipies, and this one is the best. I tend to add more veggies--carrots, grn. bell pepper, squash. Great stuff.
Great recipe! I used frozen meatballs and frozen vegetables and threw it all in the crock pot and cooked it on low all day. The kids loved it! Wonderful and easy!
Meh. Made this for dinner tonight. While my fiance enjoyed this quite a bit, I wasn't all that impressed. If this were well-seasoned, I might change my tune. This soup DEFINITELY needs spice! A bit of fresh cilantro and / or some Mexican spices would do the trick. That, along w/ the fact that my fiance gives this a thumb's up, is the reason for my 4 * rating (w/ a little help, this could be MUCH better). A local Mexican restaurant my fiance & I frequent serves a DEEELICIOUS Mexican-style chicken noodle soup. The broth is made with chicken stock, not beef stock. There are no veggies in it (other than onion) & it contains bits of chicken & sm. shell pasta. If I make this soup again, I would give it a complete overhaul. I'd substitute chicken for beef bullion, omit the MB's alltogether or substitute for tiny bits of cut-up chicken (my MB's were very bland, despite adding 1/2 a bunch of chopped cilantro, 1/2 of a sm. chopped onion & ~ 4 cloves minced garlic), add pasta or rice & some (ground) cumin / (dried) Mexican oregano. I'd also add 1/2 a bunch or so of chopped cilantro. A final change would be to dbl. The broth (i.e. H2O, bullion & salsa). There was not NEARLY enough broth! NOTE: This works best with a chunky salsa. Many of the reviews I read suggested adding a can of diced tomatoes, but if your salsa is thick & chunky, you won't need to. Served w/ absolute Mexican cornbread (Judy Spence) & watermelon aqua fresca (SB), this was an OK meal. Thanks for sharing, Belen. :-)
This recipe is great and indeed simple. I changed the meatball recipe. I ommited the milk and added 1/4 cup of uncooked rice, one egg and (1) bunch of mint (fresh) finely chopped.
Tastes pretty similar to Tortilla Soup, which is great since I love it too. Tried this w/Garden Fresh Gourmet Salsa (Jack Special Medium) that I happened to have on hand. Worked wonderfully since I didn't have fresh cilantro. Added sea salt, smoked paprika, basil. I also "vegan-ized" this soup (until I topped it w/real cheese ^.^). Found a recipe for seitan meatballs, substituted the pecans it called for w/smokehouse almonds and lime-chili almonds, thought it would be a nice alternative for this overall dish. Used vegetable Better Than Bullion, crumbled in the meatballs.
The following 'tweaks' were added by someone in '09, and ring true. With the tweaks, this is a 5 star recipe! Add rice to meatballs instead of bread crumbs. Lower fat ground beef is important because otherwise there is too much fat at the top of the soup. Add minced onions and cilantro to meatballs . Add 1/2 beef broth and 1/2 water. No milk. No Salsa necessarily, just lg can of diced tomatoes. Celery sliced very thinly can be added. And cilantro is NOT an option it is necessary in both the meatballs and broth.
Easy to make and delicious too. I added a little more spice with red chili. Loved it!
I enjoyed this soup. I left out the onions for my son. It was very quick and easy to make. I personally like a little saltier flavor, so I will add salt next time and maybe more veggies, like celery. I added the cilantro in while it was cooking and I added avacado to it right before I eat it. I will make it again!
