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