Easy Mexican Albondiga Soup

One of my favorite childhood meals is Albondiga soup. There is nothing better for a cold day than a big bowl and some warm tortillas on the side. This is my Mom’s version of this Mexican cold-weather staple, my kids now love it. Ingredients like the “El Pato” sauce can be found in your grocery’s store’s ethnic/hispanic foods aisle.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (the leaner the better)
1 egg
1 oz rice (uncooked)
2 Mexican squash
2 russet potatoes
2 carrots
1 chayote (gourd)
1 6oz can yellow ‘El Pato’ sauce
10 cups of water
Salt to taste
3 small sprigs of fresh spearmint

Directions:
Put water in large pot and start heat on high
Cut squash, potatoes, carrots and chayote into chunks (about ½ – 1 inch pieces) and add to water, add salt and bring to boil. Add 4 tablespoons of the el pato sauce and 2 sprigs of mint. lower to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, mix the egg, rice, a pinch of salt and the beef. Finely chop 3-4 mint leaves and add to beef mix.
Roll into small balls, approx 1 inch size.
After the 20 minutes, (when the vegetables are fully cooked) bring the pot back to a high boil and add meat balls one by one, if the water stops bubbling, wait a few seconds before adding more. Putting them into water that is not hot enough causes them to crumble, so make sure the water is boiling.
Let cook at high temperature for an additional 5-8 minutes.

Enjoy! Now that fall weather is finally starting to kick in in southern California, I’m gonna be making this often.
Let me know in the comments if your family enjoys this as much as mine!