Vegetarian Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 15 years so there’s not a whole lot of meaty meals I find myself missing…except for Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup). With carrots, potatoes, and rice-filled meatballs, this soup is the ultimate in comfort food! I’ve partnered with Earthbound Farm to share this healthy adaptation of a classic dish.

Start With The Basics

I love soups. It’s just amazing to me that you throw a bunch of raw ingredients into water and then a little bit later, have a delicious meal that can feed an entire family. Seriously, it’s almost magic. Since this recipe doesn’t call for many ingredients, it’s essential to begin with healthy and fresh basics. I try to buy as much organic produce as possible and love that I can always count on Earthbound Farm to help me out. The way I see it, organic farming is good for our bodies and for the earth. It’s a win/win for everyone!

Chaotic Cooking

Like many of you, my life is extremely chaotic right now and it’s a conscious effort to decide to cook a homemade meal instead of picking up take-out. I know that one day our lives will slow down a bit but until then, I’m using shortcuts like packaged broth and pre-made rice to help me get food on the table in a timely manner!

Mmm Meatballs

If you’re eating meat, making these meatballs is crazy easy. Just add the ingredients to a bowl, form 1″ balls, and set aside until you’re ready to plop them into the soup. For vegetarians, this step is a little more involved because you’re going to have to pan fry the meatballs before adding them to soup. This will help prevent the vegetarian meatballs from separating as soon as they touch the liquid.

Almost Ready

Since the soup has been cooking while you’re forming the meatballs, both are ready to go around the same time. The vegetarian meat crumbles were already cooked so you can just add them to individual bowls of soup and serve. Meaty meatballs will have to go back on the fire to cook through. Don’t worry about the wait, it’ll be totally worth it!

Glorious Greens

The classic Albondigas recipe is usually served with a cilantro garnish but I thought it would be delicious to add a couple handfuls of Earthbound Farm’s Spicy Spinach Blend. It complements the hearty flavors of the soup and meatballs nicely! Visit the EveryCartCounts.com to find out How Green is Your Cart? For every quiz taken, Earthbound Farm will plant a tree (up to 20,000). You can also get a $1 off coupon for Earthbound Farm at the end of the quiz!

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Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

Prep 20 mins

Cook 20 mins

Total 40 mins

Author Vanessa Brady

Yield 6

A delicious soup that can be altered to make a vegetarian-friendly alternative.

Ingredients

Meatballs!

• 1 1/2 meat crumbles (or ground beef)
• 1/2 cup precooked rice
• 1 egg
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/3 bread crumbs

Soup!

• 1 quart broth (vegetable or beef)
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, cut
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup spicy spinach blend

Instructions

1. Place all the soup ingredients except the spinach into a pot and bring to a boil. Lower temperature and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add meatball ingredients into a medium bowl and mix until you can form small balls. Vegetarian meatballs will need to be pan fried in order to keep from disintegrating.
3. Add a handful of spicy spinach blend and vegetarian meatballs to the soup and serve immediately. Meaty meatballs will have to be cooked in the soup for an additional 20 minutes until the center is no longer pink.

Courses Soup

Cuisine Mexican

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Earthbound Farm.