Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup uncooked white rice
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 6 cups beef or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 ears corn, cut into pieces, or 1½ cups corn kernels
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into thick half-moons
- 1 bay leaf
- 1–2 jalapeños, optional
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine meatball ingredients and mix gently; form into 1½-inch meatballs.
- Cook onion in olive oil until softened, add garlic, then tomatoes and tomato paste; cook until softened.
- Blend the tomato mixture with 1 cup broth until smooth, then return to the pot with remaining broth, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and jalapeños; bring to a boil.
- Lower meatballs into the broth and simmer 20 minutes, without aggressive stirring at first.
- Add carrots, potatoes, and corn; simmer 15 minutes.
- Add zucchini and cook 8–10 minutes more, until vegetables and meatballs are fully cooked.
- Remove bay leaf, rest 5 minutes, and serve garnished with cilantro, onion, avocado, and lime, alongside warm tortillas.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze individual portions up to 3 months.