Albondigas Soup

We are just a few days into spring, so we're kind of getting out of what I consider to be, "soup weather", but I'm sharing this recipe anyway. This is another one of my family's favorite soups, and the best part about this, is that it's super-easy, super-fast, and super-yummy!

I'm sure you could find this recipe somewhere online, because that's where I got it. Years ago. For the life of me, I cannot remember where it came from, though.

It's rather meant to be a crock pot soup. And while I have prepared it in a crock pot, these days I'm actually more likely to prepare it on the fly, because it can go together in a hurry. If you're a bit more of a purist and and make-it-yourself kind of person, it will take a bit longer. You'll see why in a minute.

Here we go....

Albondigas is Spanish for "meatball", so this is a Mexican meatball soup. It's not really a traditional albondigas (So, sorry to my children, but heads up, guys: if you order it in a restaurant, it is NOT going to look or taste like this.), because this soup is really tomato-based, and usually Albondigas is not like that. But this is an easy soup because it starts with prepared foods:

Albondigas Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cans tomato soup

2-3 cans water

1 can corn, not drained

favorite salsa, to taste (up to 1 cup or more)

24-30 frozen meatballs

1 T. minced onion (I use the jarred Costco stuff)

If you're cooking it in a crockpot, then you would just combine all the ingredients, set it, and go. You want at least 4 hours cooking time, to develop the flavor and let the meatballs soak up the juices.

But this is how I usually do it: I cook the onion in a little olive oil in a skillet. I like it to get a little caramelized and take on some color at this point, but you don't have to. The important thing to know is that the sooner you're going to serve, the more important it is to cook the onion first. If you're throwing this on the table in a half hour, the onion will be too underdone if you don't cook it first.

Then start combining ingredients: soup, soup cans of water, corn, salsa, minced garlic, and the cooked onion.

The salsa is your choice, and if you want a milder soup, you can actually use a can of diced tomatoes with bell peppers, instead of the salsa. But if you like it hot, just use hot salsa, and lots of it. I usually use a mild-to-medium, pre-made salsa, and I put about a cup in. You can use more or less, it just depends on taste.

The easy part is the meatballs! If you're a Holly Homemaker, go ahead and knock yourself out making homemade meatballs. (I'd prepare the soup in the same pan that you cook the meatballs.) But frozen meatballs are the way to go. If you're doing it in the crock pot all day, you can put the frozen meatballs right into the crock. If you're in a hurry -- pre-cook the meatballs in the microwave, like I do, and then add them to your soup pot.

About 4 or 5 minutes on high, stopping once to re-arrange them.

Then add them to the soup. Stir it all up, bring to a boil, and then simmer until you're ready to eat.

Ok. Or put it all in the crock pot. Whatever floats your meatball.

We serve it by topping it with shredded cheddar, and the kids like to dip tortilla chips in it, as well.

It really is SUPER good.

The only one who doesn't like it is Emma. And she won't eat anything outside of her comfort zone. (Which includes anything with tomatoes. Not even ketchup.

I know. She's a sick, sick child.)

The rest of us scarf it down, and what little remains as leftovers is usually gone the very next day. That's my barometer for a winning recipe -- even the leftovers get eaten quickly.

Hope you like it, too!