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tijuana meatball soup
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Tijuana Meatball Soup

Spicy Mexican Meatball Soup, similar to Albondigas
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Lunch, Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: albondigas, meatball soup, mexican meatball soup, mexican soup recipe, spicy meatball soup, tijuana meatball soup
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 stalks celery
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional, use more or less if desired
  • 1 bay leaf or 2 if small or older
  • 1 carton chicken broth 900 grams
  • 1 carton vegetable broth
  • cups tomato juice
  • 1 jalapeño pepper
  • ½ sweet red pepper
  • ½ sweet green pepper
  • 1 hot red chili pepper if desired for extra heat
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh chopped cilantro stems

Meatballs

  • ½ lb lean ground beef
  • ½ lb lean ground pork
  • ¾ cup cooked rice
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • pinch cayenne
  • salt and pepper

Garnish

  • 1 minced green onion
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • fresh chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

  • Finely dice celery, onion and carrots. Sauté in olive oil at medium-low heat until softened. Add minced garlic, oregano, cumin, cayenne and salt and pepper. Sauté a minute or so to allow flavours to bloom.
  • Add chicken and vegetable broth, tomato juice, cilantro stems and bay leaf. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Combine ground beef and pork, rice and seasoning. Shape into small balls, no larger than 2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate until soup has simmered for 20 minutes.
  • Gently add meatballs to soup. Mince jalapeño, sweet peppers and hot pepper if using. Add to soup. Simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Add fresh cilantro at the end before serving.
  • Serve hot with fresh chopped cilantro, lime wedge and green onion.