Mexican Albondigas Soup with Chorizo Meatballs

Mexican Albondigas Soup with Chorizo Meatballs

Mexican Albondigas Soup with Chorizo Meatballs

Makes 6 to 8 servings

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Active time: 25 minutes

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Start to finish: 50 minutes

VARIATIONS

Add some sautéed bell pepper to the mix, and substitute yellow squash for the zucchini.

Instead of garbanzo beans, use pinto beans or kidney beans.

Filled with healthful vegetables and legumes, this soup is enriched by the flavor in the meatballs from the earthy and spicy chorizo sausage. Serve with some corn tortillas and a tomato salad.

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño or serrano chile, seeds and ribs removed, and finely chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 celery ribs, sliced

8 cups Chicken Stock or purchased stock

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 small zucchini, trimmed and diced

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Meatballs:

¹/₄ cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 pound ground pork

¹/₂ pound chorizo, removed from casings, if necessary

1 large egg, lightly beaten

¹/₂ cup plain breadcrumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Vegetable oil spray

1. For soup, heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and chile, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add carrots, celery, stock, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer soup, covered, for 15 minutes. Add zucchini and garbanzo beans, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Keep soup hot.

2. While soup simmers, make meatballs. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and spray the foil with vegetable oil spray.

3. Combine oil, garlic, and cilantro in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Combine puree, pork, chorizo, egg, and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl, and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Make mixture into 1-inch meatballs, and arrange meatballs on the prepared pan. Spray tops of meatballs with vegetable oil spray.

4. Bake meatballs for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Add meatballs to soup, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Note: The soup can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it over low heat, covered.

Chorizo is a highly-seasoned pork sausage flavored with garlic, chili powder, and other spices. It’s used in both Mexican and Spanish cooking, and if you can’t find it look for its cousin from the Iberian Peninsula, linguiça.