Mexican Meatball Soup

I've managed to totally fall in love with everything Mexican without even visiting... I blame things like the Day of the Dead and Frida Kahlo, it just all looks so amazingly colourful. But my favourite things about Mexico are of course edible, tequila - whether it be in a shot or in a frozen margarita, burritos and now my favourite Mexican food, meatball soup. I tried the recipe a month or so ago (see my instagrammed photo here) but it's too good not to share so I've made it again to share will you. It's the perfect comfort food for a cold evening.

You will need, for the meatballs:

• 300g minced beef
• 2 cloves of garlic
• handful of corriander
• lime juice
• hot sauce
• teaspoon of cumin
• salt
• pepper

And for the soup:

•  2 teaspoons of oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 red chillies
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• cheese, tortilla chips and coriander to serve

The meatball is are so super easy to make, just mix crush the garlic into a bowl then add all of the meatball ingredients and mix them together, the best way to do this is to get your hands right in there. When it's all lovely and smushy, shape the meat into little meatballs that are small enough to eat in one bite and brown them in a hot frying pan. Set the meatballs aside on some kitchen paper and get started on the soup. 

So in a large saucepan, heat the oil, add the diced onion and crushed garlic, fry until the onion goes translucent and smells amazing. Then chop the two chillies (I left the seeds out but if you're a mentalist for spice then chuck them in too) and get them in the pan, fry them for a couple of minutes and finally whack the tinned tomatoes and chicken stock and let it simmer away for 20 minutes. Pop the meatballs in the soup and simmer some more then get the soup into some bowls, top with some grated cheese and coriander and enjoy with some tortilla chips. Now this usually does me for three portions so dinner for two and left overs for lunch the following day.