Albondigas Soup

Let me tell you about one of the coolest gifts I’ve ever been given:

When I left for college, my mom gave me this collection of family recipes that she typed up and organized into a notebook. On some pages, she writes about where each one comes from, which family member started cooking the dish that way, whose favorite it is, and of course, pictures and/or artwork to go along with each recipe. She was blogging before it was easy. What a hipster.

I love having access to the recipes I grew up with. When I was away at school, this notebook made it easier for me to have those comforting dishes that brought me familiar smells and tastes, easing the tinges of homesickness. My mom was also great to leave some blank sleeves in there, which I quickly added to.

So I mentioned last post that I had been having a tough week and when our toilet overflowed, I was ready to call it quits on being an adult. Instead throwing a fit (which has yet to get me anything. Ever. I must not be doing it right.), I went to this notebook and decided a bit of my mom’s kitchen was what I needed.

Growing up, this soup was pretty much the only soup I asked for. My brothers and I loved it. The clever part about this meal is you can change it up based on what you have in your kitchen; all the veggies can be substituted, you could use ground turkey, sirloin, or tofu even… the possibilities are only limited by what you choose. Our family usually ate it with turkey meatballs so that is just what I’m used to, but because I happened to have ground beef, thats what I used. See? Change can be good.

(Enough for 4-6 Servings)
Ingredients

Half a pound fresh ground beef/turkey
¼ of a white onion, diced
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced
1 egg
¼ cup breadcrumbs

8 cups water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons tomato paste or 1 small can tomato sauce

1 small carrot, chopped
1 red potato, chopped
½ a zucchini, chopped
1 cup cauliflower florets

Instructions

In a large-ish pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl and roll into 1 inch meatballs. Add the chicken bouillon and tomato paste/sauce to the boiling water and stir it well. Carefully drop the meatballs into the boiling water. Let them cook for about 10  minutes.

Prepare whatever veggies you are going to add. Carrots and potatoes take longer to cook than zucchini, so add those first. Once all your veggies are in, cook perhaps an additional 8 minutes. When your veggies are tender, your soup is ready. I like this soup served with fresh salsa and avocado on top and a hot corn tortilla on the side.

Source: Momma Jan