In The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, we read: “The city of Mexico began by irritating me intensely. The hotel had no organized service; they didn’t seem to care whether one got anything to eat or not. In fact, in the whole city, there was only one restaurant where one could get anything outside the regular local dishes. Nobody bothers about eating. The same applies to drinking, as far as the palate is concerned. People ate to satisfy hunger and drank to get drunk.”
Based on this commentary, one can only assume that Aleister Crowley never tried Mexican Meatball Soup (Sopa de Albóndigas). This soup is delicious, warm and filling – perfect for Winter weather. Many variations are possible, as almost every family has its own recipe. This one uses a crock pot, but can easily be adapted for stovetop cooking.
Ingredients
1 pound ground pork/loose sausage*
2 eggs, beaten
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch salt
Black pepper to taste
4 large carrots, cut into ½ inch pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups green beans
2 cups diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Hot sauce, if desired
3 potatoes, cubed (optional)
1 cup Rice (optional)
*Other ground meats such as turkey or beef are fine, but pork creates a more flavorful broth.
Put carrots and tomatoes into crock pot with approximately 2 cups of water. Set crock pot to high heat.
Sautée onions and garlic in olive oil, then pour half of them into crock pot. Leave for about an hour or until mixture in pot comes to a boil.
Make meatballs using the ground meat, eggs, half the cilantro, the remaining onions and garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Sprinkle in the rest of the cilantro.
Pour into bowls and enjoy. If desired, serve the soup over Mexican rice.
