Mexican Meatball Soup

Nice hearty soup.   You can make it spicy by adding chopped jalapeño peppers to it.  Once you serve it up in bowls, add toppings of your choice (cheese, sour cream, green onions etc)

Meatball Ingredients:

*cooking spray

*1 pound ground beef

*1/2 small yellow onion, chopped

*1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

*1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

*1 large egg

*1 tablespoon milk

*1 teaspoon cumin

*1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

*1/2 teaspoon chili powder

*1 teaspoon salt

*1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

*1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro (optional)

*juice squeezed from 1/2 lime

Soup Ingredients:

*1 tablespoon olive oil

*1 medium/large yellow onion, chopped

*1 red bell pepper, chopped

*2 medium carrots, chopped 

*1-2 jalapeño peppers, chopped (only if you want to make it spicy)

*1 teaspoon cumin

*1 teaspoon chili powder

*1/2 teaspoon salt

*1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

*6 cups beef stock

*1 quart stewed tomatoes

*1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

*1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

*1 cup frozen corn

Meatball Directions:

~Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

~Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.

~In a large bow, mix all of the meatball ingredients (do not over mix).

~Form 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared sheet pan.

~Bake for 10-12 minutes.  

~Remove from oven and place meatballs on paper towels to soak up any grease.

~Set meatballs aside.

Soup Directions (stovetop):

~In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.

~Add onions, red peppers and carrots, (and jalapeño peppers if using them) cook for around 5-6 minutes, stirring often.

~Stir in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper for about 20 seconds.

~Add beef stock, tomatoes and tomato sauce.

~Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium.

~Simmer for 10 minutes.

~Add meatballs, beans and corn and simmer another 5 minutes.  

Intant Pot Directions:

~Make meatballs as directed above (you can cook them on sauté mode if you prefer.  Just add a little oil to pan before cooking.  Remove from pot and set aside).

~Turn Instant pot to saute mode.

~Once "hot" add olive oil.

~Add onions, red peppers and carrots, (and jalapeño peppers if using them) cook for around 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

~Stir in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper for about 20 seconds.

~Add beef stock, tomatoes and tomato sauce.

~Put lid on and seal vent.

~Put on pressure cook mode for 3 minutes.

~Do a quick release.

~Add meatballs, beans and corn.

~Put lid back on and seal vent.

~Pressure cook for 1 minutes.

~Do a quick release.