Albondigas Soup

"Albondigas" means "meatballs" in Spanish, and the trick to perfect albondigas soup is to put chopped mint leaves into the meatballs. The mint is what gives an albondigas soup meatball its unique flavor.

Albondigas History
Sopa de Albondigas

 

 

Undoubtedly, this soup was originally introduced to the Spanish world from the Middle East during Islamic rule in what is now Southwestern Europe. Muslims from North Africa and Arabia conquered the Visigoths inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula in decisive battles between the years 711 and 718. Muslims continued to rule in Iberia until the 800-year-long effort known as the Reconquista was finally successful on January 2, 1492, when the last Muslim ruler of Iberia surrendered to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the same two who sent a bumbling Italian explorer out to sail the ocean blue in 1492...

The very name of the soup, "albondigas", belies its Muslim/Middle Eastern history. The word "al" is an article in Arabic translating to "the" in English, and "el" in Spanish. The name for the soup is likely some permutation of "al-bunduq", which means "hazelnut", and is applied to denote "meatball" because of the meatball's approximation of the size and shape of the hazelnut.

There are said to be more than a few recipes in a book from 12th century Spain, titled Kitab al-Aabihk fi Maghrib Wa'al-Andalus, which reference the al-bunduq, or meatball. (I personally do not speak Arabic, so I am not an authority on this.) Given the soup's mint-and-rice-filled meatballs, however, it seems obvious that the original stew was made with ground lamb, fortified with rice, and seasoned with mint and parsley. Albondigas then, is a Spanish soup, imported to Mexico with the conquistadors, with its origins in the ancient Middle Eastern, Islamic world, where rice and mint are commonly mixed with ground lamb in dishes such as dolmas.

A perfect example of the adoption of the "al" article into European languages is found at the southern tip of Spain, the point closest to the Arabic-speaking portion of Africa, the Rock of Gibraltar. It is well known that this large rock jutting south from the coast of Spain, separating the Mediterranean from the Atlantic, was known in ancient times as "Jabal Ṭāriq", or "The Mountain of Tariq". Tariq ibn Ziyad was the Umayyad commander who initiated the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, which today is the home of Spain and Portugal. The Muslims defeated the Visigoths and held the Iberian Peninsula from about 710 AD until 1492.

From CarlsbadCRAVINGS - yet another recipe from Jen. Fantastic website, you should check it out.

Ingredients

Sopa de albondigas

SOUP

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 small yellow onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper minced
  • 2 medium carrots sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 2 stalks celery sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 2 small Yukon gold potatoes chopped into 1-inch chunks
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tsp EACH dried oregano, ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, salt, pepper
  • 2 15 oz. cans of fire-roasted tomatoes with juices (or 1 big can of Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes)
  • 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chiles
  • 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 chayote, peeled, cored chopped into 1/2” cubes (may sub ½ zucchini)

MEATBALLS

  • 8 oz. lean ground beef
  • 8 oz. ground pork may sub lean ground beef
  • rice from above in directions
  • 1/2 small yellow onion minced
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano OR ½ teaspoon dried
  • 1/2 tsp EACH chili powder, ground cumin, salt, pepper

TOPPINGS (pick your favs!)

  • Avocados
  • Tomatoes
  • cilantro
  • sour cream
  • lime juice
  • hot sauce

What to do with them...

  1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add rice and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes. Take this time to chop your veggies for the soup. Drain the rice and rinse thoroughly in cold water (we are parboiling the rice; it will not be completely tender). Set aside.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and jalapenos and cook for 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, and all seasonings. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, green chiles, and broth.
  3. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes while you make the meatballs.
  4. Meatballs: Add egg to a large bowl and whisk. Add 1 cup parboiled rice and all remaining meatball ingredients and mix well. Shape 1 tablespoon-size meatballs and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet; about 40-45 meatballs.
  5. Add meatballs, remaining parboiled rice, and chopped chayote to the soup. Add 1-2 cups water if desired for a less chunky soup. Bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer for an additional 12-15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and rice is tender – don’t stir meatballs for at least 5 minutes or they’ll break apart.
  6. Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings.