There is nothing quite like a bowl of Caldo de Albondigas to make you feel instantly at home. Filled with tender meatballs, hearty vegetables, and a fragrant broth, this traditional Mexican meatball soup is pure comfort in a bowl. Rich, satisfying, and deeply nourishing, it’s a timeless classic that brings the warmth of authentic Mexican cooking right to your dinner table.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Incredible Flavor: The combination of seasoned beef and pork with fresh yerbabuena (mint) creates a uniquely aromatic broth.
- Comforting & Hearty: Packed with fresh vegetables and pillowy meatballs, it’s a complete, wholesome meal.
- Easy Cleanup: This streamlined method cooks the raw meatballs directly in the broth, saving you from extra dishes.
- Traditional Roots: An authentic family recipe passed down through generations.
-Maggie
📖 Family Story
Caldo de Albondigas reminds me of my grandma. She was my namesake, the one who invited me into her kitchen, and such a gentle soul. Even writing this as I remember her, I get teary-eyed. I can clearly picture her hands forming the albondigas. I can clearly hear her say, “ve por la yerbabuena”—go for the mint that she grew in her garden. It is truly comfort food in a bowl, rich and satisfying, just the way she made it for our family and anyone who stopped by her home in Durango, Mexico.
Also try my grandmother’s famous Red Pork Tamales.
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
Forming the Meatballs
- Start by adding the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix well to combine everything.
Whether you know it as Caldo de Albondigas or Sopa de Albondigas, I used long grain white rice to make this recipe. Some people will use leftover cooked rice or rinsed rice. They all work in this dish.
Yerbabuena, or mint. 🌿 This is an important ingredient when making this Caldo de Albondigas recipe. It gives this Mexican soup a distinct taste.
- You can make smaller meatballs. They will cook faster this way.
- Using your hands, form meatballs. About 1 ½” in diameters.
- Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Note: If you have made monster-size meatballs, or larger than 2” in diameter, it will take them longer to cook.
Cooking Meatballs in a Skillet
Heat oil and sear the meatballs on all sides before adding to the stock pot.
Add tomato sauce, broth, and desired veggies. Simmer for 30 minutes.
I prefer the easy way. That is, putting the raw meatballs straight into the pot and saving myself the extra dishes to wash.
🥫 Making the Tomato Sauce
- Add the tomato sauce ingredients into a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
The tomato sauce is very simple. It’s the same tomato sauce used to make Sopa de Conchas and Entomatadas.
Pro Tip: Some people will tell you to strain the sauce. It really depends on your blender.
If you see that the sauce has pieces of tomato or onion in it, it might need straining. If you have a super awesome blender that zips everything clean, then you’re good to go.
🍲 Making the Soup
- Heat oil in a large stock pot and add the tomato sauce.
- After it has been cooking for 5 minutes, gently and carefully add the meatballs. One by one.
- Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
- Add the veggies. Be sure to give everything a gentle stir. Be very careful NOT to break up the meatballs.
🥕 Adding Vegetables
My grandmother always added potatoes to the soup. It thickens the sauce. Occasionally, a chipotle would also make it in the pot for some extra heat, but you can also add vegetables.
This part is up to you and your personal preference. When you should add them to the pot, depends on what you are adding.
- Add the potato and carrot after the meatballs begin to simmer in the pot.
- If using the calabacitas (Mexican zucchini), add to the pot at the last 10 minutes of cooking.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
It is pronounced al-BON-dee-gas.
Yes, you can heat oil and sear the meatballs on all sides before adding them to the stockpot, though cooking them raw directly in the broth saves time and extra dishes.
It lasts 3 to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or 4 to 6 months in the freezer.
It’s best to freeze the soup without potatoes, as potatoes can turn mushy and grainy when thawed, though carrots and meatballs freeze great.
Long-grain white rice works best because it cooks thoroughly inside the meatball without becoming overly sticky or dense.
🥄 More Mexican Soups
- Caldo de Res
- Caldo de Pollo
- Sopa de Letras (Mexican Alphabet Soup)
- Caldo Tlalpeno
- Caldo de Camaron
- Caldo de Verduras
Serve hot with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, extra cilantro, and warm corn tortillas on the side. Whether you’re fighting off a cold or craving a taste of home, this comforting Mexican meatball soup never disappoints.
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Caldo de Albóndigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)
Ingredients
For Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 10 mint leaves finely chopped
- ½ cup white rice
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ onion finely diced
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 2 eggs
For the Tomato Sauce
- 4 tomatoes rough chopped
- 1 cup water
- ¼ onion rough chopped
- 1 garlic clove whole
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ½ cup beef broth
Optional Vegetables
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 potato peeled and diced
- 1 calabacita diced (or zucchini)
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- In a large bowl, add the beef, pork, mint, rice, oregano, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and eggs.
- Mix until well combined.
- Form meatballs. About the 1” to 1 ½" in diameter.
- Repeat until you no longer have meat.
- Place in the fridge until ready to use.
For the Tomato Sauce
- In the meantime, add the tomatoes, water, onion, and garlic to a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a large stock pot.
- Add the tomato sauce. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Gently and carefully add the meatballs to the pot, one-by-one.
- Add the beef broth. Stir gently.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and potatoes.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Cover and let cook for 30 minutes.
- Note: if you are using the calabacita, add at the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Serve with lime and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Yes. Heat oil and sear the meatballs on all sides before adding to the stock pot.
Add tomato sauce, broth, and desired veggies. Simmer for 30 minutes. - However, this method will create more dishes to wash.
delicious, beautiful and cozy on a cold day.
The best comfort food!
Do you have a cook Book 📕!!!!.
Hi. Here are my cookbooks: https://inmamamaggieskitchen.com/cookbooks/