ALBONDIGAS SOUP

INGREDIENTS

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey
• ½ cup cooked white rice
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (about 1 ½ loosely packed teaspoons)
• ½ cup loosely packed mint leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano (dried or fresh)
• 1 ¼ teaspoons Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne

For the Broth

• 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil such as grapeseed or canola
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 whole chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1 ½ to 2 quarts (6 to 8 cups) beef or chicken stock
• ½ cup cooked white rice
• 3 large bay leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

To Finish

• 1 green onion, chopped
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°

Combine all ingredients for the meatballs in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with clean hands. Sauté a small amount of the seasoned meat to check for seasoning.

Roll the meatball mixture into marble sized rounds (about a 1 tablespoon of meat each) and place on a cookie sheet while you work. Continue until all of the meat is shaped into balls and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to set.

2. While the meatballs chill, begin the broth. Mix all broth ingredients except for the stock, rice, bay leaves and salt on a baking sheet or roasting pan to combine. Roast ingredients on baking sheet/roasting pan in the oven for 15 minutes to lightly caramelize the tomato paste. Combine the stock, rice, and bay leaves in a large heavy-bottom stock pot and add the roasted veggies. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes.

After about 30 minutes, bring the broth to a boil and begin adding the meatballs a few at a time until all the balls are in the broth. Simmer the broth and meatballs for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Stir in the salt and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if desired.

3. To serve, ladle several meatballs, some veggies and the broth into soup bowls. Garnish soup with the green onion and fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges.