El Chico Mexican Restaurant Albondigas Recipe

ingredients

Meat Balls (Albondigas)
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/3 cup long grain rice
2 slices white bread
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper

Soup (Sopa)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
3 quarts water or salt-free broth
3 tomatoes, diced
1 cup rice
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 carrots, sliced 1/8-inch
1 zucchini, sliced 1/8-inch

Garnish
Fresh limes
cilantro
Hot corn tortillas

directions

Soak the bread in the milk. Place all the ingredients for the meat balls in a deep pan; include the milk and bread. Mix all the ingredients by hand very well. Make small meat balls rotating your hands in a circular motion making meat balls of the size 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches.

Bake meat balls for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Set aside.

Soup preparation: Place vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions and bell pepper. Cook until onions are soft. Add the water, diced tomatoes, rice and spices. Bring to hard boil. Carefully add the meat balls, carrots and zucchini to the boiling soup. Lower the heat to a slow boil and cook until rice is soft, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. Add more water if necessary.

Serve with hot corn tortillas, lime wedges and chopped cilantro. Squeeze the lime in the soup to accentuate the flavor of the vegetables in the soup. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

nutrition data

638 calories, 36 grams fat, 51 grams carbohydrates, 27 grams protein per serving.

reviews & comments

Mommy REVIEW:
September 17, 2010

I agree with Jonny - also add 2 dried arbol chile, a bay leaf and celery to this. It only took 20 min to prep - EASY!!!!!
Libby REVIEW:
December 23, 2007

Great recipe except the salt needs to be cut down to 2 teaspoons.
Johnny REVIEW:
February 5, 2006

After some mods, my Albondigas loving wife can't get enough. Important changes are to half the pepper in the meatballs (I used pork), 2 quarts chicken stock with 1 quart beef stock, add one potato, 4 not 3 tomatoes, 1/2 cup rice in the soup, 1/2 the pepper in the soup, and cut bigger chunks for the veggies. Love this recipe.

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