Consuelo's Albondigas

Albondigas is Mexican meatball soup at its most comforting. These small meatballs are mixed with breadcrumbs, egg, finely chopped celery, and garlic, then rolled in flour and browned in olive oil before simmering in a big pot of stock. The browning step builds flavor that boiled-only meatballs just can’t match.

The garlic gets split between the meatballs and the broth, which gives you garlic flavor in two layers. After browning all the meatballs, the remaining garlic and a generous amount of fresh parsley sauté in the same oil, then a splash of white wine or sherry deglazes the pan and picks up all those browned bits from the bottom. That all goes into the stock with the meatballs for a 30-45 minute simmer.

Make the meatballs small. They cook faster, soak up more broth relative to their size, and give you more per spoonful in the bowl.

Pro Tips

• Form the meatballs small and uniform so they cook evenly. A tablespoon measure helps keep them consistent.
• Brown them well on all sides before adding to the broth. The flour coating creates a crust that holds the meatballs together during the long simmer.
• Don’t skip the deglaze. Those browned bits (fond) in the pan are concentrated flavor that goes straight into the broth.
• The broth should simmer, not boil. A hard boil breaks the meatballs apart.

Variations

• With vegetables: Add diced carrots and potatoes to the broth along with the meatballs for a heartier, one-pot meal.
• Chipotle albondigas: Stir a spoonful of chipotle in adobo into the broth for a smoky, spicy kick.