Make This Easy Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup) Using Frozen Meatballs!
Our quick Albondigas soup recipe features a bag of frozen meatballs as a shortcut but has plenty of fresh veggies and herbs for lots of flavor and comfort.
If you love a good flavorful soup, add this one to your meal plan!
Mexican Meatball Soup or Albondigas (Spanish) Soup is one of my favorites. It typically features chopped potatoes, veggies, a zesty tomato broth, fresh herbs, and meatballs. The meatballs usually have rice inside them and the whole soup together is comforting and makes for a delicious meal.
In my version, I decided to use a bag of frozen meatballs and add in some long-grain rice to the soup instead. We love the Trader Joe’s party-sized meatballs and they work well in this soup. You could of course make your own or pick up some at your store.
The result is a hearty soup that is both satisfying and full of delicious flavor. It’s appealing to the whole family, and is super comforting especially if it’s chilly outside. The best part is how easy this is to compile for a quick weeknight meal.
Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)
yield: 5 SERVINGS
prep time: 30 MINUTES
cook time: 20 MINUTES
total time: 50 MINUTES
A hearty meatball soup with zesty tomato broth, chopped veggies and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 medium zuchini, diced
- 2-3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 10 oz. can tomatoes with diced chiles, undrained
- 1 pound frozen cooked meatballs
- 1/3 cup white long grain rice, rinsed
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Directions
1
Heat up a pot on the stove with olive oil on medium heat.
2
Add the chopped veggies, potatoes, and garlic. Sautee for a few minutes until the onions start to soften.
3
Add in the seasonings and stir. Add in the broth, tomatoes, frozen meatballs, and rice. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add in the cilantro. Serve warm and enjoy!
Extra tips for making albondigas soup:
- You can consider changing up the veggies to use what’s in your fridge! Corn, green beans, and yellow squash would be some great options.
- If you’d like a spicier soup add in your favorite hot sauce or maybe add in a little cayenne pepper to the seasonings.
- if cilantro isn’t your favorite, use another fresh herb such as parsley.
What an easy and delicious meatball soup!
The broth is so GOOD. Honestly, this was such a big hit at my house. My kids loved it. I managed to have a bowl left over for lunch the next day and it was yummy the next day too. I did add a little more chicken broth as the rice soaks it up some. Overall, this is a great option for a quick soup!
Want more soup? Check out this unique and EASY lasagna soup!
Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to try but I’m going to use rice cauliflower instead of regular rice.
You’re welcome Rose! Sounds like a yummy low-carb swap. Let us know how you like it! ❤️
Instead of cilantro, add mint leaves, this is the traditional albondigas soup, and you will love it even more. This is my comfort food and reminds me of home… Enjoy!
Yes -great suggestion! Thanks Mari!