Comfort food.
This is what drives me.
I want to prepare comfort food that makes my children feel loved and cared for and brings back memories of home as they get older. Growing up, my mom had a few dishes in her repertoire that just screamed comfort. Now that I have a family of my own I want to continue that tradition – but in my own way.
Sopa de Albondigas is an easy-to-prepare meatball soup made of fresh flavors and all-natural ingredients. This soup is a favorite in my household and what my family longs for when they are sick or in need of something warm on a cold winter’s day. Traditionally made with ground beef I sometimes like to change it up by preparing this dish with lamb. American Lamb is known for its quality, flavor, and tenderness. With more than 82,000 family-owned sheep operations in nearly every U.S. state, American Lamb is local and available year round.
Lamb naturally lends itself so well to global flavors, including Latin, Middle Eastern, Asian and Mediterranean. From gyros to kabobs, bulgogi to stews, marrying international flavors with local, flavorful American lamb is sure to be a winning recipe. The lamb adds a nice, global flavor to this traditional, ethnic dish and gives it a different taste and overall feel.
To begin, I prepare the Sopa de Albondigas by shaping the lamb, flour, egg and 1/2 cup of chicken broth into small 1 1/2 inch balls.
The lamb balls are then dropped into a broth where they cook slightly before adding the onions, carrots, rice and peas. The lamb balls, vegetables and rice slowly cook uncovered for about 20 minutes until all of the ingredients are cooked.
Lamb Sopa de Albondigas
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 8 cups regular strength vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano leaves
- 2 medium-size onions chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground chili powder
- 5 carrots sliced
- 1/4 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- salt to taste
- 2 or 3 limes cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix lamb, flour, eggs and 1/2 cup broth.
- In a large soup pot, combine remaining 7 1/2 cups broth, oregano, onions and chili powder. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to low.
- Quickly shape beef mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls dropping them into the broth. Simmer, uncovered, skimming off any fat and foam for 5 minutes. Add carrots, rice and peas. Continue to simmer, uncovered until carrots and rice are tender (about 20 minutes).
- Serve soup and 3-4 meatballs into bowls and serve along with lime wedges. Season with salt to taste.
My comfort food is Lamb Sopa de Albondigas.
I love it and so does my family. I hope years from now when my children are feeling a little homesick they remember the wonderful way this soup made them feel and that it was made by their mom with lots of love.
I hope you give this Lamb Sopa de Albondigas soup a try and enjoy experiencing global flavor!
Enjoy!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
This article was written by food blogger Linda Arceo for her food blog, Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps