Sopa De Albondigas Con Fideo – Authentic Mexican Meatball Soup
Sopa de Albondigas con Fideo is a flavor-stuffed Mexican meatball and spaghetti soup. It’s rich, filled with savory, umami flavors, and very easy to make. And the recipe is also incredibly versatile!
This is one of my best Sopa de Fideo recipes that I make very often. A way I change it up every now and then is to use different meat and seasonings for the soup base. It’s quick, easy, fun, and the perfect make-ahead dinner idea.
What Is Sopa De Albondigas Con Fideo?
Sopa de Albondigas con Fideo is essentially the authentic Mexican take on traditional spaghetti and meatballs. But the only thing they really have in common is a tomato base, meatballs, and some type of pasta. That’s it!
The flavors, textures, and overall consistency of each of these are completely different, which is part of why I love it so much!
Mexican meatball soup is made with a tomato-based liquid. It is very aromatic and has a ton of delicious, yet simplistic flavors. It isn’t thick or creamy and has the consistency of tomato soup.
Then, we will also be making beef meatballs from scratch. This is another area where I’ve included quite a few different flavoring ingredients. They are still very easy to make and quite quick too.
And finally, instead of spaghetti, we’ll be using fideo noodles. It is a type of Mexican pasta made from wheat flour (usually durum wheat). The strands are very thin like angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti. But, they are short and slightly curved. Each piece is only about 1 to 2-inches long.
So, as you can see, essentially you only make three elements for this dish. And still, it is wonderfully packed with flavor and extremely filling.
So, let’s look at how to make this Sopa de Albondigas con Fideo recipe.
Tips And Tricks For Making My Sopa De Albondigas Con Fideos Recipe
- When making meatballs, always work with cold ingredients and work with gloves. It will avoid any harmful bacteria being introduced to the meaty mixture. And it will also prevent them from rapidly growing. By handling raw meat incorrectly, you can cause serious food poisoning.
- The exact number of meatballs you make is entirely up to you. If you make 1-inch meatballs, you should be able to get between 30-40 meatballs in total. The larger you make them, the fewer meatballs you’ll get. And remember that larger meatballs take slightly longer to cook. But they are also juicier.
- It’s always good to test one meatball before rolling the balls and cooking the entire batch. It will help you see what the cooked size will be and if it stays together nicely.
- If your tester meatball falls apart during cooking, you need to add more breadcrumbs to the meat mixture.
- Do not skip toasting the fideo noodles. If you don’t toast or fry them, they will become sticky and soggy.
- If you aren’t sure when your meatballs are done by looking at them, you can test their internal temperature. It should be around 165ºF (75ºC). You can also take a look at the inside of the biggest meatball. If the meat is still pink or red, it’s undercooked.
FAQs On Sopa De Albondigas Con Fideos
What accompaniments to serve with albondigas soup?
A dish this hearty doesn’t need any accompaniments. However, if you really want something to add to the table, Jamaican Rice and Peas, or any kind of rice is the way I would go. And for dessert, you can always try this Puerto Rico Flan.
Can I freeze this albondigas soup?
Albondigas soup actually freezes surprisingly well. Simply place the soup inside an airtight container, wrap it in foil, and place it in the freezer for up to 6 months. However, it is best served within one month.
To thaw, leave the Mexican spaghetti soup inside the fridge overnight. Once thawed, reheat in a large pot over medium heat.
What can you use instead of fideo pasta?
If you cannot find any fideo for this Sopa de Albondigas con Fideo recipe, you can use thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta instead. Just chop the long strands into smaller pieces. And don’t forget to toast them. It will still help release their nutty flavors.
More Delicious Soups
Sopa De Albondigas Con Fideo – Authentic Mexican Meatball Soup
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup finely diced ham
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely shredded
- 1/2 cup finely diced onions
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- Fine salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
For soup
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil, for frying
- 3 cup fideo pasta
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 6 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh shredded cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
Make the meatballs
- To prepare the meatball mixture, place all the ingredients into a large clean mixing bowl.
- Work the mixture with your hands. Make sure that you mix the ingredients well so that all the flavors are uniformly distributed.
- Keep mixing until you have a uniform meat mixture. You also shouldn't see any ground beef strands clearly. Before you roll all the meatballs, see my note in the tips section of tester meatballs.
- Divide your meatballs into 15-30 individual portions. Roll beautiful round meatballs and set them on a plate.
Fry the meatballs
- Heat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Work in small batches to fry the meatballs for about 3-4 minutes per side. Or until they are all beautifully browned.
- Once browned, remove them from the pan and set them aside on a plate with a kitchen towel. It will help drain excess oil and ultimately make the soup less oily.
- Repeat this process until all of the meatballs have been browned.
Make the rest of your soup
- Heat some more oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the fideo pasta. Fry the pieces for 5-6 minutes or until they become crispy and golden brown in color. Set them aside to cool inside the pot.
- Next, combine the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth in a blender. Then, pulverize the mixture until it's completely smooth and lump-free.
- Add the blended tomato soup base to the pot containing the fideo. Heat the mixture over medium-high and cook the soup for about 10 minutes.
- Next, add the browned meatballs and continue cooking the soup for another 10-15 minutes.
- Adjust the seasoning of the Sopa de Albondigas con Fideo by adding salt and pepper.
- Before removing the soup from the heat, ensure that the meatballs are completely cooked through. Once you are happy with the flavor, serve the soup immediately with some freshly shredded cilantro.
