This week, we’re taking a detour from what’s usually expected of me. Recently, I took a culinary tour of Spain at Phipps Botanical Conservatory in Pittsburgh. I made Bacalao con Tomate (dried salted cod with tomato sauce), Patatas Bravas (Brave potatoes), Albogandes (meatballs in soup), and Championese Portobellos y Jamon (stuffed portobello mushroom with cured Spanish ham). Of these four recipes, my absolute favorite was the Albogandes.
- First, meatballs consisting of 90 percent lean ground beef, rice, minced garlic, egg, cilantro, ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper are thoroughly combined in a bowl.
- Then, they’re rolled out into ¾-inch balls.
- Once that step is done, set the meatballs aside and work on the actual soup. Heat olive oil in a large pot, add onion and carrot and cook for three to four minutes.
- Then, in the last 30 seconds of this, add garlic and saute. Then add beef broth, potatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, and oregano.
- Bring the soup to a simmer and continue for 10 minutes. Then, lightly drop the meatballs into the pot and DO NOT STIR.
- You can begin to stir once the meatballs have cooked for a little as to not misshape them.
- Simmer for 10 more minutes then add zucchini.
- Cook for five more minutes and season with salt and pepper.
- Once ready to serve, garnish with cilantro, and you’re good to go!
Something about me is that I love soup, so I consider myself pretty good at deciding whether they’re good or not. Albogandes is genuinely remarkable. The flavors all go so well together, and it’s something I’d never get tired of.
