Photo by Farideh Sadeghin
Servings: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutesfor the albondigas:
⅓ cup|80 grams white rice
1 pound|450 grams ground beef
¼ cup|15 grams finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg, lightly beatenfor the soup:
¼ cup|60 ml extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chile flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce|400-gram) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups|1 ½ liters beef broth
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup|15 grams finely chopped cilantro leaves, plus leaves to garnish
crema or sour cream, for garnish
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Ingredients
⅓ cup|80 grams white rice
1 pound|450 grams ground beef
¼ cup|15 grams finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg, lightly beatenfor the soup:
¼ cup|60 ml extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chile flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce|400-gram) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups|1 ½ liters beef broth
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup|15 grams finely chopped cilantro leaves, plus leaves to garnish
crema or sour cream, for garnish
Directions
- Make the albondigas: Bring a small pan of generously salted water to a boil, add the rice, and cook, like you would pasta, for 12 minutes, then drain. Cool completely and transfer to a large bowl, then add in the remaining ingredients. Roll into 16 equal-sized balls and transfer to a sheet tray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Make the soup: Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium. Add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and cook for until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the chili flakes, oregano, cumin, and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until they break down a even more, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef broth and potatoes and bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
- Add the albondigas and poach, uncovered, until cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and season to taste. Serve hot, topped with more cilantro leaves and crema.