¡Albondigas!

If you already know what it is, you get 10 points! ... And your mom or grandma probably makes it for you ... I don't have a Mexican grandma, but I love albondigas anyway.

Albondigas is literally "meatballs,"although there are two ways in which they can be served. Spanish-style albondigas can be served as a main course or appetizer, typically in a tomato sauce; Mexican albondigas is made with a broth (typically chicken) served with vegetables (carrots, celery, onion). The latter is the one that I am familiar with.

(Is it just me, or is "albondigas" a really fun word to say?)

I used this recipe: Best Albondigas Soup.
A few notes about this recipe:
*It calls for a liberal amount of cilantro (1 cup).
*I think it would be better with even more cilantro.
*Remember the fabulous yellow peppers I used for Sunday's grilled cheeses? I added 1 chopped yellow pepper to the broth. It gives the dish a nice, gentle kick.
*I highly recommend adding rice to the soup (when serving), although it's still awesome without it.
*You can substitute ground turkey (which I did) or "soy balls" in place of the beef and sausage.

Garnish it! The recipe doesn't call for it, but the perfect topper to albondigas includes two things: jack cheese and tortilla strips. And toss in a scoop of guac while you're at it. This greatly increases the yum factor.

Backstory: I finally made this soup after craving it for close to a year. I can't remember the last time I had it before cooking it myself this week, but I know that I've been dying to have some and happy to say it turned out really good. The fresh veggies and herbs give this dish a lot of fresh flavor - but it shouldn't be taken as a light soup. It's actually very hearty and filling.

Nom away!
~Soundtrack for this post provided by Of Montreal and Au Revoir Simone~