Sopa de albóndigas is one of those comfort foods that bring back memories of my homeland. My mom always adds potatoes, carrots, chayotes, or some sort of vegetable into the tomato broth to make enough for a large family like ours. And it is a good way to get the kids to eat their veggies.
3sprigs of fresh mint or 1 teaspoon powdered dried mint
8peppercorns
¾teaspoonsalt
¼scant teaspoon ground cumin
⅓onionchopped
3medium tomatoesabout ¾ pound
1cloveof garlic finely chopped
Boiling water to cover tomatoes
2Tablespoonspeanut or safflower oil
1medium onionthinly sliced
4cupsof chicken broth
Instructions
Cover the rice well with boiling water and let it soak for about 45 minutes. Place the meats in a large bowl and mix well.
Trim the squash and chop them very finely. Add the squash and chopped onion to the meat. Blend the eggs with the herbs and spices until smooth. Mix well into the meat. Add salt.
Drain the rice and add it to the mixture. Make 24 meatballs, each about 1-½ inch in diameter, or any size of your preference.
Pour the boiling water over the tomatoes and cook it for about 5 minutes.Skin the tomatoes, place them into the blender along with the chopped garlic clove and blend until almost smooth.
Heat the oil and cook the onion gently, without browning, until soft.
Add the tomato puree, bring it to boil, and let it cook fast for about 3 minutes. Add the broth to the tomato sauce and bring it to simmer.
Add the meatballs, cover the pan, and let them simmer for about one hour and 15 minutes to one hour and 30 minutes. Serve in deep bowls with plenty of sauce.
If you want to make this soup a little spicy add some sliced jalapeños to the simmering sauce. Or add some canned chipotles to the blender with the tomatoes.
Notes
Fresh mint optional to add to the soup at the end of the cooking process.