Turkey Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

This cozy, brothy Turkey Albondigas (a Mexican-inspired Meatball Soup) is my thyroid-friendly take on a beloved Mexican comfort food. Tender turkey meatballs, flecked with fresh mint and cilantro, float in a rich bone broth with carrots, white sweet potatoes, zucchini, and aromatic veggies.

The result is a simple, nourishing soup that’s perfect for cold days. It's flavorful, comforting, freezer-friendly,  and packed with thyroid-supportive nutrients.

👇 Scroll down for the full printable recipe, or cook along with me in the step-by-step YouTube video. 

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While traditional albondigas recipes often include rice and a tomato-based broth, this version is:

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Grain-free
• Nightshade-free 
• Paleo and AIP-friendly

It’s simple, comforting, and a healthy spin on one of my family’s all-time favorite soups.

It All Starts with Good Broth

A good, rich broth is the foundation of any good albondigas soup. This recipe provides a wonderful dose of gut, skin, hair, joint, and nail-nourishing bone broth.  The batch of broth I used for this was made primarily with chicken bones, along with a turkey neck and some duck bones I had stored in the freezer after our holiday feasting.

Some of the best-tasting bone broth, in my experience, is made with a combination of bones (chicken, turkey, duck, beef, lamb, or even pork bones), so feel free to use what you have on hand, but a primarily poultry-based broth will likely pair best with the turkey here.

I try to keep bone broth handy in the freezer, but when I'm out it's packaged bone broth to the rescue. While it's super easy and far more economical to make your own, and chances are the quality and nutrient density will be higher, too, there are some decent pre-made bone broths available for purchase. Check both the soup aisle and the freezer section at your local market.

Note: It's important to choose your bone broth carefully if you're going to use store-bought. I like Kettle & Fire (from the pantry aisle) and Bona Fide (from the freezer section). I've tried a few others that didn't taste, look, or feel like anything more than overpriced regular broth or reconstituted bone broth powder, so it's important to read labels and check online reviews. 

True bone broth should be rich, a little bit sticky, and have a smooth mouthfeel from all the collagen, elastin, and gelatin. If it's really good, it will actually gel at cold temps (from all the gelatin!). Many boxed or bagged bone broths don't. That's why I prefer homemade, but hey, sometimes convenience wins. 

Want to learn how to make your own bone broth? Check out my recipe and YouTube demo here!

Chef's Notes:

While there are many recipes for albondigas, two things seem consistent across the board: the use of fresh mint in the meatballs and the addition of white rice to bulk them up. Some insist that the meatballs must be simmered in a tomato-infused broth. I wanted to avoid that for those of you with nightshade sensitivities or those following an elimination diet like AIP.

For the same reason, I replaced white potatoes with white sweet potatoes. If you tolerate nightshades and aren't on a diet that restricts you from eating them, white potatoes work well here. I have also omitted the rice, substituting cauliflower rice to bulk up and add flavor to the meatballs. To bind the meatballs, I used cassava flour, which has become my new favorite trick for gluten-free meatballs that aren't tough or dry.  

I have taken some other creative liberties here while remaining true to my fondest memories of authentic albondigas. For instance, I used spinach for this photoshoot, whereas zucchini is more traditional. Zucchini would be best here, and it's what I recommend in the recipe, but when I prepared this, we were quarantined, and spinach was what I had on hand. Worked great! 

That's what I love about cooking. You can almost always find a good substitute, and creativity is encouraged! If something's not working, you can usually tinker around and fix it. With baking, on the other hand, not so much. (Probably why I'm not the best baker! LOL)

If you don't have zucchini, you can substitute kale, spinach, chard, or even cabbage.

Finally, I used a combo of fresh cilantro and mint to bulk up the herbs without overdoing it on that minty fresh flavor. The result was a thyroid-friendly home run! I hope you think so, too. 

Thyroid-healthy Recipe Highlights: 

• Turkey provides several key thyroid-supporting nutrients including tyrosine, selenium, vitamin B12, potassium, magnesium, and iron. It also happens to be a good source of dietary iodine, which the thyroid requires to successfully make thyroid hormone. A 3-ounce serving of turkey contains approximately 34 mcg (23% DV) of iodine.
• Bone broth is one of the most highly recommended foods for anyone suffering from an autoimmune disease. The collagen and glycine can help repair cell damage in the intestinal tract. It also supports hair, skin, and nail health, as well as our body's detox pathways. 
• Carrots: 1 cup of carrots provides 428% DV of Vitamin A, which may be a key factor in preventing hypothyroidism.
• Zucchini is a good source of Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin, Phosphorus, and Vitamin B6. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, and Manganese. So many nutrients for the very low cost of 14 calories per half-cup serving!

Happy cooking, happy thriving, and enjoy the recipe (below)!

P.S. Need more thyroid-friendly recipe inspiration? I’ve got you covered. My Thyroid-friendly Everyday eCookbook features over 50 quick and easy, thyroid-friendly recipes your whole family will love. To take a peek at what’s inside, CLICK HERE.

 

More Thyroid-Healthy Soup Recipes: 

• Red Lentil Rainbow Soup
• Italian Sausage Minestrone
• Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham
• Tomato, Sausage, and Fennel Soup
• AIP Zucchini Basil Breakfast Soup
• Creamy Carrot Coconut Soup