Albondigas means “meatball” in Spanish, the language of the country where this wonderful soup originated from. I have taken one of my favorite recipes, and with just a few tweaks I have made it friendly for those on a sugar-free/grain-free diet.
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups (1 quart) free-range chicken broth (can substitute grass-fed beef broth)
- 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups frozen green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/3 cup of almond meal (also called almond flour)
- 1/3 cup of chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint (more if you like a lot of mint)
- 1-1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 raw egg
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Sea Salt
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- Cilantro, fresh, chopped
Heat oil in large 5 quart sauce-pan over medium heat, one that you have a lid for…we will be needing that later. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, broth, and water. Raise heat to med-high, and bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer. Add bell pepper and green beans. Season the broth mixture with a little salt and pepper, if needed.
While the soup is simmering, prepare the meatballs. In a medium bowl add the meat, almond meal, parsley, mint, salt and pepper, and egg. Mix together until well combined. Form meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
Return the soup to a gentle boil, add oregano and stir. Add meatballs to the soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the peas to the soup about 10 minutes before the soup is done. Add the lemon juice to the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish each serving of the soup with a little chopped fresh cilantro.
This recipe is great with the Texas Skillet Bread!
Serves 8+
*Sugar-Free/Grain-Free