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Beef Meatball Soup with Potatoes and Carrots
Small beef meatballs, tender potatoes and carrots make a comforting bowl with a little jalapeño warmth. Cilantro and tomato bring a fresh, bright finish.
- Prep
- 25 minutes
- Cook
- 40 minutes
- Total
- 1 hour 5 minutes
- Serves
- 6 servings
Keep the meatballs small and even
Mix gently and shape meatballs about one inch across. Lower them into simmering broth and avoid vigorous stirring so they hold together as they cook.
Check the whole bowl
The largest meatballs should reach 160°F, the rice inside should be tender, and a fork should pass easily through the vegetables. Add cooking time if any of those checks need longer.
Adjust the tomato finish
Start with half the tomato sauce and add more to taste after the meatballs are cooked. Stir in the last cilantro just before serving.
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The full recipe
Beef Meatball Soup with Potatoes and Carrots
Small beef meatballs simmer with potatoes, carrots, jalapeño and cilantro in a light tomato broth.
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 Potatoes medium, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 8 oz can Tomato sauce use 1/2 can initially, then add more to taste
- 2 tsp Rice uncooked white long-grain rice, rinsed
2 Carrots medium, peeled and thinly sliced- ½ cup Fresh Cilantro chopped
- ½ Yellow Onion chopped
- 1 jalapeño thinly sliced; seeds removed for less heat
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp All-Purpose Flour divided: 1 teaspoon meatballs, 1 teaspoon soup
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 6 cups water plus more as needed
- 1 tsp salt divided; plus more to taste
- ½ tsp ground cumin divided
- ½ tsp garlic powder divided
- ½ tsp onion powder divided
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper divided
Instructions
- Gently mix the ground beef, egg, rice, 1 teaspoon flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and half each of the cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Shape into approximately 1-inch meatballs. Keep refrigerated while preparing the soup; do not taste the raw mixture.
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and potatoes and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring. Sprinkle in the remaining teaspoon flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Add 6 cups water, half the tomato sauce, the carrots, jalapeño, remaining salt and spices, and half the cilantro. Bring to a simmer. Add more water if needed to cover the vegetables and allow room for the meatballs.
- Lower the meatballs gently into the simmering broth. Partly cover and cook at a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes, avoiding vigorous stirring. Check the largest meatballs for 160°F (71°C) in the center; the rice inside must be tender and the potatoes and carrots fork-tender. Continue cooking as needed until all three checks are met.
- Taste the fully cooked broth and add more tomato sauce or salt if desired. If adding sauce, simmer for a few more minutes to heat through. Stir in the remaining cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
This light, albondigas-style variation retains the small 2-teaspoon rice amount from the archive. It is primarily a beef meatball soup, not a rice-heavy version. Use even-sized meatballs and check both their temperature and the rice texture.
Water, oil, tomato-can size and measured seasoning amounts are specified here to replace vague directions. Yield is approximately 6 servings. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use within 3 days; reheat to 165°F (74°C).
