Venison Meatball Soup (Sopa de Albóndigas)

This warming soup stretches a bit of ground venison into a hearty meal for six. If you don’t have access to venison, this can be made with lean ground beef instead. 1 pound ground venison

1⁄2 cup cooked rice

1 egg 3⁄4 cup minced onion, divided use 1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1⁄2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

4 teaspoons minced garlic, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons neutral-flavor oil, divided

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 medium zucchini or calabaza squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into

chunks

1 medium tomato, diced

Instructions: Combine the venison, rice, egg, 1⁄4 cup of the minced onion, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, oregano, half the garlic, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Form the meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs all over. Once browned, remove the meatballs from the skillet and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large pot over a medium flame. Add the remaining onion and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, squash and tomato and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and potatoes are tender. Makes 4 servings Per serving: 323 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 101 cholesterol, 367 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar, 28 g protein