This soup is submitted by Emily King. Emily is student at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Phoenix. She is currently serving her externship with Into the Soup. Rock on, Emily!

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 2 large poblano chiles
  • 1 LB ground beef
  • ½ C grated onion
  • ¼ C panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 T cumin
  • 1 t dried oregano
  • ½ t salt

Soup

  • 1 T olive oil
  • ½ small onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 gralic cloves, minced
  • 2 T ancho chile powder
  • 2 t cumin
  • 9 C beef broth (preferably Savory Choice)
  • 1 C zucchini, slice lengthwise, then in thin, half-moon-shaped slices.
  • ¼ C long grain rice
  • ¼ C chopped cilantro
  • 1 T lime juice

 

Serves 4 as a meal, more as an appetizer

Meatballs (albondigas)

Place poblanos on a sheet pan and place under the broiler until the skins are blackened on all sides. When the poblanos are blackened, place them in a paper  bag and loosely fold-over the top to seal the bag (poblanos will continue to steam and skins will be easy to remove). When they are cool enough to handle, use a dish towel to rub the skins off, slice the chiles lengthwise. Remove stem, seeds, and strings and discard. Chop the rest of the flesh very finely.

Place minced chiles in a large bowl and combine with the remaining meatball ingredients mixing very thoroughly. Use a tablespoon to measure out the meatballs and roll in your hands to form approximately 1-inch balls. Brush a sheet pan with oil, and place meatballs on the pan. Do NOT bake.

Soup (Sopa)

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender (saute the onion about half-way before adding the garlic to prevent burning). Add the chile powder and cumin and stir for another minute. Add the broth to deglaze the pot along with the oregano. Bring the broth to a boil, and then reduce to a very slow simmer. Cook for about ten minutes.

Stir the zucchini and the rice into the broth and increase the heat to medium. Carefully drop the meatballs into the soup one at a time, and adjust the heat to return the pot to a simmer. Cover and cook gently until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is al dente. This will take about twenty minutes. Do NOT let the soup reach a boil. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and add the lime juice. Stir well, and top with cilantro before serving.

***Garnish the soup with crushed-up corn chips or tortilla strips, lime wedges, and/or diced avocado.***

 

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