How to Make Albondigas Soup: Mexican Sopa de Albóndigas Recipe

Albondigas are small meatballs. In Spanish cuisine, albondigas are often served as an appetizer with tomato sauce. They’re also a comfort-food staple in Mexican cooking. *Sopa de albóndigas*, a traditional Mexican soup, features albondigas floating in a flavorful broth filled with vegetables and garnished with fresh herbs.

Here’s how to make  albondigas soup at home, step by step:

1. __Prepare meatballs__. Unlike Italian- and American-style meatballs, which are typically held together by breadcrumbs, albondigas are bound by rice, making them gluten-free. Albondigas are typically flavored with chopped fresh mint leaves. 
2. __Make the soup__. Albondigas soup features a tomato broth, similar to the base of chicken tortilla soup, that can be made with beef, vegetable, or chicken stock and diced fresh or canned tomatoes—or even tomato sauce. 
3. __Cook the meatballs in the soup__. Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook the meatballs directly in the soup—the albondigas will flavor the broth, and vice versa. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime.

Learn how to make Mexican meatball soup.

Albondigas are small meatballs. In Spanish cuisine, albondigas are often served as an appetizer with tomato sauce. They’re also a comfort-food staple in Mexican cooking. Sopa de albóndigas, a traditional Mexican soup, features albondigas floating in a flavorful broth filled with vegetables and garnished with fresh herbs.

What Are Albondigas?

Here’s how to make albondigas soup at home, step by step:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Prepare meatballs. Unlike Italian- and American-style meatballs, which are typically held together by breadcrumbs, albondigas are bound by rice, making them gluten-free. Albondigas are typically flavored with chopped fresh mint leaves. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Make the soup. Albondigas soup features a tomato broth, similar to the base of chicken tortilla soup, that can be made with beef, vegetable, or chicken stock and diced fresh or canned tomatoes—or even tomato sauce. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Cook the meatballs in the soup. Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook the meatballs directly in the soup—the albondigas will flavor the broth, and vice versa. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime. </li></ol>