Mexican Meatball Soup

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 3/4 cups chopped onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small bay leaves
• 5 (14 1/2 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (in juice)
• 1/2 cup chunky salsa
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 lb bulk lamb sausage
• 6 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup long grain rice

Recipe

• 1 heat oil in heavy large pot over medium high heat.
• 2 add 1 3/4 cups onions, 2 garlic cloves and bay leaves; saute 5 minutes.
• 3 add broth, tomatoes with juices, salsa, and cilantro; bring to a boil.
• 4 cover and simmer 15 minutes.
• 5 meanwhile, combine ground beef, lamb sausage, cornmeal, whole milk, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, remaining 1 cup onions, 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 cup cilantro in a medium bowl.
• 6 mix well.
• 7 shape meat mixture by generous tablespoonfuls into 1- 1 1/4" balls.
• 8 add rice and meat balls to soup and bring to a boil, stirring occasionall.
• 9 reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and meatballs are tender.
• 10 stirring occasionally,about 20 minutes.
• 11 season with salt and pepper.