Albondigas is Gluten-Free Mexican-style Meatball Soup

Celiac.com 01/20/2022 - This delicious, gluten-free Mexican-style meatball soup is rich, yet remarkably light. Perfect for cold weather, this savory, easy-to-make, Mexican-inspired meatball soup will be a major winner at the dinner table, and a welcome addition to your recipe book. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion (large, chopped)
• 1 large garlic clove (minced)
• 3 quarts chicken stock (or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both, we usually use half stock half water as the meatballs will create their own stock*)
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• ½ pound string beans (strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 2 carrots (large, peeled and sliced)
• ⅓ cup raw white rice
• 1 pound ground beef
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves (chopped)
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 egg
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 dash cayenne (optional)
• 1½ cups fresh peas (or frozen)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano)
• salt
• pepper
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

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Directions: 

Make the broth:
Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add stock, water, and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.

Make the meatballs:
Mix raw rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. 

Mix in raw egg. 

Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

Add meatballs, simmer:
Gently add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for ½ hour.

Add peas:
Add the peas right at the end. 

Add a dash of oregano, salt and pepper, and cayenne, to taste.

Serve hot and and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.