# Caldo de Albóndigas

This is a recipe for Caldo de Albóndigas, a traditional Mexican meatball soup, shared by Abuelita Elena.

- Total time: 40 min
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Category: Drink
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 0.5 lb ground beef
- 0.5 lb ground pork
- 0.5 cup finely chopped yerbabuena (sub. with spearmint or mint)
- 0.5 cup white rice
- 1 tspn salt
- 1 tspn smoked paprika
- 0.5 tspn black pepper
- 1 tspn garlic powder
- 1 tspn cumin
- 1 minced canned chipotle
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 0.25 cup AP flour
- 2 green tomatillos finely diced
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.25 onion rough chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 4 tomatoes rough chopped
- 1 tbsp Juquilita Red Mole Paste
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 8 cup beef or chicken broth or 2 cubes of Knorr bullion
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 0.5 tspn dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 diced carrot
- 1 peeled and diced potato
- 1 diced calabacita (or zucchini)
- 4 frozen corn on the cob
- chopped cilantro
- 1 juice of 1 lime
- avocado
- sliced radish
- canned chipotle

## Instructions

1. Gather and prepare all your ingredients for the meatballs.
2. Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs, stir well to combine, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil to medium heat. Add the onions and season lightly with salt and pepper, sauté for 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and cook for 1 more minute.
5. Add tomato paste.
6. Add red mole paste, stir and cook for 1 more minute.
7. Deglaze with broth and bring up to a boil.
8. While the soup comes to a boil, remove the meatball mix from the refrigerator and form meatballs about 1" to 1 1/2" in diameter (think the size of a golf ball or slightly smaller).
9. Prep and chop the vegetables of your choice.
10. When the soup is boiling, reduce heat just slightly.
11. Carefully drop in the meatballs one by one, gently stir, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 to 35 minutes.
12. If you're adding vegetables, cook for 5 minutes, add the carrots and zucchini, then stir gently to combine being careful not to break the meatballs.
13. Add the potatoes the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time.
14. Taste for salt. Garnish soup with lime wedges, radish, avocado, chipotle and fresh cilantro.

## Equipment

- pot
- knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
- ladle
- wooden spoon

## Tips

- When soup is boiling, reduce heat just slightly so the meatballs stay together but not bubbling to not break up the meatballs.
- You'll know the meatballs are done when the rice is nice and soft and the veggies fork tender.
- The Red Mole Paste is optional but highly recommended for flavor in red and tomato based dishes. Wear a glove when handling it as it will stain your hand. Freeze it in small cubes for easy use in other recipes like mole, birria, pozole, soups, and chilaquiles.
- Serve with warm corn tortillas.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG4f-UZmRvA
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/1b5fb730-2ac9-49f9-b249-9f194143a44e
- Extracted: 2025-06-24

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt