Water Buffalo · Mexican
Water Buffalo Albóndigas Soup
Caldo de albóndigas is the soup Mexican grandmothers make for Sunday lunch: tender meatballs with rice and a hint of mint in a light tomato broth. Organic grass-fed ground water buffalo 95/5 makes lean, delicate meatballs, and simmering them in buffalo bone broth gives the soup real body.
- Prep25 min
- Cook40 min
- Total65 min
- Servings6
Ingredients
- 500 g ground water buffalo 95/5 $370
- 920 ml water buffalo bone broth $495
- 1 organic egg $90
- 1/4 cup raw white rice, rinsed
- 2 tbsp fresh mint (hierbabuena), finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped, plus 1/4 onion for the broth
- 3 Roma tomatoes and 1 garlic clove
- 2 carrots, 2 zucchini and 1 potato, diced
- 1 chipotle in adobo (optional)
- 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cumin, pepper
- Limes and chopped cilantro to serve
Instructions
- Mix the ground buffalo with the egg, rice, mint, chopped onion, cumin, salt and pepper. Don't overwork it.
- With wet hands, roll into walnut-size meatballs (about 24).
- Blend the tomatoes, 1/4 onion, garlic and chipotle with 1 cup of bone broth.
- In a large pot, fry the tomato purée in a little oil for 4 minutes, then add the rest of the broth and 4 cups of water. Bring to a simmer.
- Drop the meatballs in gently and simmer, without stirring, for 15 minutes.
- Add the carrots and potato, cook 10 minutes, then add the zucchini for 5-8 minutes more.
- Check that the rice inside the meatballs is cooked, adjust the salt and serve with lime and cilantro.
Tips
- Chill the shaped meatballs for 15 minutes so they hold together in the broth.
- Stuff each meatball with a piece of hard-boiled egg for the traditional version.
