I heard it will be cooler this week.  With finals coming and lots of studying to do maybe a pot of nourishing hot soup will come in handy.

ALBONDIGAS SOUP

First thing:  Use a large 5 quart soup pot or dutch oven.  Add 1 large box of beef broth, 4 cups of water, and chopped onions.  Turn heat on medium-low, bringing to a simmer; meanwhile start the meatballs.

Meatballs:

˜      1 lb of ground turkey or hamburger

˜      ¼ cup of chopped cilantro

˜      1 egg

˜      ¼ cup of rice

˜      2 Tbsp flour

˜      2 Tbsp chili powder

˜      1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp oregano

˜      1 Tbsp paprika

˜      Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix these ingredients well (I use my hands) and form into 1 inch balls.  Drop into the boiling broth, cover and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes; meanwhile start chopping the veggies.

Vegetables:

˜      Potatoes (3 med, peeled and cut into bite size chunks – cover with cold water until ready to use)

˜      Carrots (3, scrubbed and sliced into bite size pieces)

˜      Celery (2, sliced)

˜      Onion (1, peeled and diced)

˜      Garlic (4 – 5 cloves chopped very fine)

˜      2 yellow chili peppers (do not cut off the top, slice into each side without opening the pepper)

˜      ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

˜      ¼ Cup rice

When the meatballs are done remove from the broth and set aside.  Add all the above vegetables to the broth along with:

˜      more chili powder (about 1 Tbsp) and sprinkle more paprika over the veggies, then add:

˜      1 large can of whole tomatoes – I chop these tomatoes or just squash them before adding to the soup.  Do not use the canned cut up tomatoes – there is a difference in the taste and consistency.  Add more water if needed, you want it soupy, but not watery.

Speaking of taste, now is the time to check if more salt is needed – only add a little at a time, its easier to add more than it is to remove too much.

Let these ingredients cook for about an hour, they should be done before adding the meatballs back to the broth.   When the meatballs and the veggies are back together, let them stew for a few minutes.  If you prefer you can remove the 2 yellow peppers, or not.

Your soup should be spicy, but not too hot for everyone to enjoy.

If you want spicier or hotter, add some Mexican tomato sauce (yellow can), but only use ½, it’s very hot. I think you lose the flavors of everything else when it’s too hot.  You can also use 3 yellow chilies. I’ve done this and it works better if you like the hot and spicy soup.