This meatballs and rice soup is comforting, filling and full of flavor. It's perfect for a weeknight meal during the cold months.
My grandmother’s Meatball and Rice Soup is one of my favorite soups and I come to crave it every now and then. So this past Tuesday, I was very happy to have everything on hand to make it. This soup taste even better the next day if you leftovers.
Here’s Mamita’s Sopa de Albóndigas con Arroz recipe. I hope you enjoy even half as much as I do.
Meatball and Rice Soup Recipe (Sopa de Arroz con Albóndigas)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 beaten eggs
- ½ cup masarepa
- ½ cup warm water
- Salt to your taste
Soup
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 scallion chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 8 cups water
- 1 beef bouillon tablet
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup green beans
- ½ cup peas
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup rice
- ½ teaspoon color achiote or sazon goya with azafran
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Avocado for serving
Instructions
For the soup
- Make the guiso: In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- Place a pot over medium-high heat. Add the water, beef boullion, ground cumin, guiso and achiote. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- While the broth is simmering, make the meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and using your hands, mix well until combined.
- Divide meat mixture equally into 12 portions and roll into balls with your hands. Place in a plate and set aside.
- Add the meatballs to the broth. Simmer for 20 minutes, add the rice and vegetables and cook for 20 minutes more. Stir in the fresh cilantro and top with avocado. Serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 25gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 124mgPotassium: 601mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2476IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 3mg
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Tangled Noodle
Soups and meatballs: two of my favorites, especially during the winter! It's so sweet of you to share your grandmother's recipe. This sopa de arroz con albondigas looks absolutely delicious!
Nicole
What do I do with the masarepa and what ingredients go into the meatballs? Thank you!
Erica Dinho
I just updated the recipe. Check again and let me know if you have more questions.
NYMuneQuita
You mention a guiso but are your referring to the sopa or albóndigas??
Erica Dinho
soup
Anonymous
Thank you so much you’re the best !!
Fabiola
Me gustan mucho las recetas
Augusto
I am a Colombian man residing in Norther New Jersey, My 92 year old Mon now suffering from Dementia can no longer remember her cooking recipes. From time to time she asks for some dishes, however, I was never able to cook for her. Until Now, this site has given me the empowerment to cook great Colombian dishes and enjoy them with Mom. Thank you for all your hard work and sharing such a beautiful wealth of knowledge! today I made this recipe and came out great!
Felisha
Looks comforting with the cold weather coming up!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
It's rainy and cold here...this meatball soup would be exactly what I need now!
Sarah Naveen
Oh wow!!! Such a delicious soup...
Gotta try it soon!!!!
Erica
Thank you everyone for taking the time to leave a comment!
Laura Soza
Hi Erica,
I have the PAN (yellow bag) 100% White corn . Can this be used instead of the orange bag ?
Erica Dinho
Yes.
karen
Similar to a Mexican albondigas, which I just love. I plan to make some thins winter!
Claudia Medeiros
Grandma's comfort food ... what else can we ask for on a winter day ? It's perfect, Erica 🙂 Thanks for sharing !
P.S.: Thanks for your lovely comments on my blog 😉
vinolia
the soup looks delicious and filling and that makes a perfect one pot meal!!
Simply Life
Wow this soup looks soooooo tasty! Another amazing meal here! Wow, I wish I had my meals at your place 🙂
Ang
I am
Confused . What actual ingredients go into making the guiso !? Thanks !!
Oysterculture
This looks like the soup for fall, stick to your ribs warm - perfect for November - thanks for sharing!
Erica
Thank you all for the nice comments! I love this soup 🙂
Sook
I love the fact that you can make soup with meatballs. I love meatballs and anything soup! This will be a great fall-winter dinner.
Nancy
Your pictures are so beautiful. You have such a sense of design in creating your pictures. The colors, placement of utensils, and layout is just perfect.
Nancy
Sorry.. They ARE just perfect!
Juliana
Oh! I had this soup before...absolutely delicious...and great for this weather...yummie!
Danielle
I really should try making meatball soup one of these days. it just looks so comforting
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie
Yum! Meatballs & rice soup sounds really wonderful!
Erica
Thank you everyone 🙂
Monica
OMG.. this has been my favorite soup for as long as I can remember. I now live in a different state than my mother but whenever i go visit she HAS to make this for me.. i am a new mother and just realized i need to learn how to cook these delicious Colombian dishes so i can raise my son on them as well.
This website is a godsend!! Thank you!!
Diana @ Spain in Iowa
Now this I'm making!! This is beautiful Erica, and one that I know my family will enjoy on a Sunday afternoon!
Thank you for sharing a family recipe!!
raniya
Delicioso! I am cooking this recipe as I am typing it in the computer, I am glad I found this site about Colombian recipes...can not wait to try more!
Fran
Should I use cooked or uncooked rice in this recipte
Erica
Fran- Uncooked rice.
Monica
DEELISH...excellent
Amanda
Disfruto todas sus recetas. Muchas gracias 🙂
Una pregunta - Y se le puede echar harina en vez de masarepa?
Erica Dinho
Migas de pan.
Chris
That sounds wonderful, comfort food for the soul.
Adriana Gutiérrez
Perfect for this blustery, cold winter day. Soup is made, resting for lunch. Do not forget the fresh cilantro at the end, it makes all the difference in the world!
Is 10:45 too early for lunch? I can't wait.
Jajaira
Made this soup today and my sister from Cali Colombia said she was tranported back home. Thanks!
Will
Being retired and living in Colombia. Everytime, I visit my wife's family in Medellin. They will have a soup, meat and rice ready for lunch. I wanted to make a Colombian soup for my Mother-in-Law to return the favor.
I made some modifications by adding potatoes, fresh spinach and canned tomatoes. Hopefully my wife's family will enjoy. Will let everybody know.
Helen Scarr
Hello Erica I just lost a reply to you.
Thank you so much for sharing your grandma's recipe. Wow I just love it!thank you thank you thank you.
Last week I met a young Colombian volunteer in an Aboriginal art centre in Central Australia who was making soup as she felt homesick. She inspired me to look up recipes for Columbia soup and I found yours. I
began making it and didn't have all the ingredients so two days later we tried it. It is just sooooo good I can't wait to try it again. I susbstituted pork and chicken mince in the metatballs and parsley instead of cilantro in the guiso. Also forgot the avacado garnish but that would be a soft sensory luxurious addition for next time. Oh, and I added more salt.
Erica thank you again for your generous sharing. I was so surprised by the comfort and gentleness of this dish. Thank you.
Monica Dougherty
So delicious! I put cilantro in my meat balls and swapped the peas for corn! Wonderful recipe! My mom never really thought me Colombian recipes even though my parents were born there! So it’s nice to learn and have access to these wonderful authentic recipes 🙂
SRahme
Hi Erica, thank you so much for sharing this heart warming recipe. As this is my first time trying to make SOPA DE ARROZ CON ALBÓNDIGAS, I am having difficulties figuring out which ingredients should be added to prepare the meatballs. If you have the time could you please guide? Thanking you!
Niki Howerter
When do I add the tomatoes and scallion?