Mexican Meatball Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole head of celery, stalks and leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cups baby potatoes, halved fingerlings, or diced Yukon golds
4 cups beef or vegetable broth
1 large bunch parsley (at least 3 cups, packed)
1 cup lime juice (8-10 limes)
1 bunch spearmint, leaves only

Preparation

Form the beef into meatballs the size of quarters. Add the oil to a large soup pot and set over medium-high heat. Add meatballs in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook meatballs for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom side is brown, then flip and cook an additional 2 minutes on the second side. Remove finished meatballs to a plate.

When all meatballs have been cooked and set aside, you should have a nice layer of olive oil mixed with beef drippings. Add celery, garlic, and onion to the pot, turn the heat to medium, and sweat the vegetables until they start to soften but have not browned. Add the broth and potatoes to the pot, along with all but a handful of the parsley and 4 cups of water. Turn the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the meatballs back into the soup. Cook an additional 10 minutes, until potatoes are fully cooked.