Crockpot, or not, Albóndigas Soup

Winter started out in the Fall this year with pipe-bursting temperatures.  Although mother nature has been kinder to us with the new year in the Northwest, I still crave steaming pots of bubbling soup when I come home from a full day of classes.  I have become a bit of an expert at whipping out my crockpot at 5 o'clock in the morning.  I chop my ingredients with a knife in one hand and a hot cup of coffee in another.  It takes some planning ahead but it is worth the effort.  This allows me to spend time relaxing and catching up with my family as soon as I arrive home in the evenings without having to worry about dinner preparations.


Albóndigas soup is one of my husband's favorites.  I use to make it regularly in the early years of our marriage.  It's been at least fifteen years since the last batch--way overdue. This Mexican meatball soup bursts with warm spices and colorful vegetables.  Don't let the long list of ingredients chase you away from making this delicious Latin dish--it's not hard to make and a lot of the prep-work can be done ahead of time.  I have posted two methods for you to choose from: simmer it slowly in the crockpot for 8 hours or for 30 minutes on the stove-top if you are short on time.  The choice is yours but either way it's sure to please everyone at your table. 

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Crockpot or not Albóndigas Soup  (serves 6) Here's how to save time:  Chop and prepare all the vegetables the night before and refrigerate until ready to use.  I like to use my food processor and pulse a few times to chop each one finely.   1 stick cinnamon, cut in three pieces 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 tsp ground cloves 2 tsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped (reserve 1/4 cup for the meatballs) 3 cups red cabbage, finely chopped 4 stalks celery, finely chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped  2 turnips, peeled and diced 4 rose skin potatoes, diced (makes 2 cups) 1 cup delicata or butternut squash, diced 1 lb grass-fed lean ground beef 1 large egg, beaten 1/2 cup basmati rice, uncooked 1/4 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp oregano 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp sea salt or more to taste 1 tsp chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped (optional) 32 oz  chicken or vegetable broth 15 oz fire roasted tomatoes, chopped + juice Optional toppings for Serving:  Chopped cilantro Pepitas Diced avocado Crushed tortilla chips Crockpot Method:                   Printable crockpot recipe Cooking time may vary depending on the make and model of your slow-cooker.  You may need to adjust the cooking time according to manufacturer's instructions.                                      Place a large pot under medium heat, and saute the cinnamon, cumin, ground cloves, and coriander seeds for a minute or two until fragrant.  Place in a spice grinder and pulse until finely ground.  Set aside for now. Using the same pot, heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil.  Add the onions mixing occasionally until they start to soften.  Add the cabbage, celery, bell pepper, 1/4 tsp sea salt and continue sauteing for another five minutes.  Transfer to the crockpot.  Add the potatoes, turnips, and squash and mix together. In a large bowl, combine the meat, egg, rice, 1/4 cup of chopped onion previously set aside, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and two teaspoon of the spice mixture.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Form meat mixture into golfball sized meatballs and set aside. Add the remaining spice mixture along with the chipotle (if using), the broth, the tomatoes as well as the bay leaf into the crockpot  and mix well. Heat remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in the pot under medium heat.  Brown the meatballs in batches until each one is golden brown on all sides.  Transfer into the crockpot.  Gently mix into the broth-vegetable mixture.  Set your crockpot on low temperature and cook for at least 8 hours.  If you have a timer, you can set it so that it stops cooking after 8 hours but still keeps it hot for your dinner. Serve with bowls of various fun toppings at the center of the table and enjoy! Stove-top Method:               Printable Stove-top recipe Place a large pot under medium heat, and saute the cinnamon, cumin, ground cloves, and coriander seeds for a minute or two until fragrant.  Place in a spice grinder and pulse until finely ground.  Set aside for now. Using the same pot, heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil.  Add the onions mixing occasionally until they start to soften.  Add the cabbage, celery, bell pepper, 1/4 tsp sea salt and continue sauteing for another five minutes, stirring often.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Then add to it the potatoes, turnips, and squash and mix together. In another large bowl, combine the meat, egg, rice, 1/4 cup of chopped onion previously set aside, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and two teaspoon of the spice mixture.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Form meat mixture into golfball sized meatballs. Heat remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in the pot under medium heat.  Brown the meatballs in batches until each one is golden brown on all sides.  Return all the meatballs to the pot.  Add broth, all the vegetables, tomatoes, bay leaf, remaining spice mixture, and chipotle (if using).  Gently mix together and bring to a boil.  Cover and lower the heat to a simmer.  Continue simmering for 30 minutes.   Serve with bowls of various fun toppings at the center of the table and enjoy!