Hearty potato and carrot, tangy tomato, fresh zucchini, and savory meatballs come together in this Albondigas Mexican Meatball Soup. Made in minutes in the pressure cooker, this homey soup is the perfect weeknight meal.
This post was sponsored by Crock-Pot®. All opinions are my own.
What is Albondigas Mexican Meatball Soup?
Albondigas is the spanish word for meatball -so this soup is simply -Mexican Meatball Soup. A simple soup base is made with sautéed onions, garlic, broth, and tomatoes. The meatballs are paired with fresh vegetables in this simple broth. You can dress this soup up with some delicious toppings, or keep it simple and traditional.
Let's Chat Crock-Pot®
For this recipe I am using the 8-quart Crock-Pot® Express Crisp Pressure Cooker, which works perfectly because I can cook my meatballs and my soup all in the same pot. I love that this guy eliminates the need for an additional air fryer. We do a lot of pressure cooking around here , so I'm no stranger to pressure cookers. Crock-Pot® is one of the leaders in one-pot cooking, so there is no question that their Express Crisp Pressure Cooker is amazing!
The 8-quart Crock-Pot® Express Crisp Pressure Cooker is really the jack of all trades. You can pressure cook when you want a meal done in a short amount of time, you can slow cook when you want to leave something to slowly cook all day, and you can air-fry when you need to crisp something (like chicken or ribs). You can also sear or sauté in the Express Crisp Pressure Cooker, and of course - you can steam!
We are big fans of pressure cooking because you can cook up to 70% faster than traditional cooking. And with the 8-qt capacity of this pot - you can serve up to 10 people.
What Do I Need To Make The Meatballs in Mexican Meatball Soup?
For the Meatballs you'll needL
- ground beef
- bread crumbs
- garlic
- cilanto
- egg
- salt and pepper
How Do I Make The Meatballs?
- In a medium bow, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, cilantro, and salt and pepper.
- Using clean hands, mix mixture until well combined.
- Form into 1 inch balls.
- Place inside of a 8-quart Crock-Pot® Express Crisp Pressure Cooker. You can use the rack to double stack your meatballs.
- Set to Air Fry for 15 minutes.
- Meatballs should be perfectly golden. Transfer to a plate.
Pro Tip: Alternately, you can cook meatballs on a baking sheet in the oven, or in a frying pan.
What Else Will I Need For The Soup?
You will also need:
- diced onion
- minced garlic
- carrots
- red potatoes
- zucchini
- cilantro
- minced serrano pepper
- diced tomatoes
- oregano cumin
- chicken broth
- prepared meatballs
How Do I Prepare Albondigas Mexican Meatball Soup?
- Set your 8-quart Crock-Pot® Express Crisp Pressure Cooker to sear. Add olive oil. Once heated, add onion and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent.
- Add carrots, zucchini, potatoes, and Serrano pepper.
- Also add diced tomatoes, cilantro, and seasonings.
- Transfer your prepared meatballs to your 8-quart Crock-Pot® Express Crisp Pressure Cooker.
- Pour in chicken broth.
- Close the lid of your 8-quart Crock-Pot® Express Crisp Pressure Cooker and set valve to seal. Cook on manual for 2 minutes. Use a quick release to release the pressure.
- Serve soup hot.
Pro Tip - The nonstick inner pot of the Express Crisp Pressure Cooker is dishwasher safe and a dream to clean, so don't hesitate to put it in the dishwasher.
Albondigas Q&A
What Should I Top My Soup With?
I like to ganish with cilantro and avocado. Mint is the traditional garnish, but I prefer the spiciness of cilantro. Serve with warmed tortillas.
Do You Have A Recipe Video For This Dish?
We do:
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="i3oCiKk3" upload-date="2019-10-31T04:15:16.000Z" name="Albondigas Soup" description="Hearty potato and carrot, tangy tomato, fresh zucchini, and savory meatballs come together in the Albondigas Mexican Meatball Soup. Made in minutes in the pressure cooker, this homey soup is the perfect weeknight meal."]
How long does albondigas soup stay good for?
Albondigas soup will keep well in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. It will also keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.
I Love Pressure Cooking Soup! Do You Have Other Recipes?
We sure do! If you love pressuring cooking soups - be sure to check out our:
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Albondigas Mexican Meatball Soup
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- ⅓ cup season bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Soup
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 carrots diced
- 1 medium zucchini sliced
- 1 cup red potatoes diced
- 30 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 serano chili diced
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 48 ounces chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- prepared meatballs
- salt and pepper to taste
- cilantro for garnish
- avocado for garnish
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a medium bowl combine all ingredients.
- Using your hands, stir and squish until well combined. Roll into 1 ½ inch balls.
- Place in your 8-quart Crock-Pot® Express Crisp Pressure Cooker. You can use the rack to create two layers of meatballs.
- Cover with the crisping lid. Use the air fry setting and cook for 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate while you prepare soup.
Soup
- In your 8-quart Crock-Pot® Express Crisp Pressure Cooker, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set to sear and add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent.
- Add carrots, potatoes, serrano pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, meatballs, zucchini, broth and seasonings.
- Cover with pressure cooker lid. Set valve to seal and cook on manual for 2 minutes. Use a quick release to release steam.
- Taste broth and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with additional cilantro and avocado.
Video
Notes
- In an 8qt dutch oven, brown meatballs in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Turn to brown all sides. Once all sides are browned transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Meatballs do not need to be cooked through - as they will continue cooking in soup.
- Add onions and garlic to your dutch oven and cook until onions are translucent.
- Add tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, serrano chili, seasonings, meatballs, and broth.
- Simmer 20 minutes.
- Taste broth and add salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Jessica says
Really pleased with how this turned out - wanted to do the healthy version using ground turkey & it was sooo good, lots of flavor, didn’t miss the ground beef at all! Great recipe, thanks so much!!
Annette says
This soup looks delicious! I love homemade soup and make it often. What's better than a one pot meal that can be reheated for days?! Adding this to my soup recipe list.
Chelsea Anderson says
Looks so good!