Almondigas soup with misua is a Filipino meatball soup made with pork meatballs (or bola-bola), thin wheat noodles, and vegetables in a light savory broth.
It's a simple one-pot meal that cooks quickly and is good with rice or on its own.
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Ingredients You'll Need
Notes and Substitutions
- Ground pork: I like using pork with a little fat for the bola-bola so they stay juicy. You can also use ground chicken, or a mix of pork and chicken.
- Shrimp: This gives the meatballs a light seafood flavor and a nice bouncy texture. You can leave it out for a simpler version.
- Ginger: This is one of the main flavors in the broth. You can also add lemongrass if you like.
- Shiitake mushrooms: These add more umami flavor to the broth.
- Zucchini: It is usually made with patola , but zucchini is similar and is easier to find. You can also use sayote or upo.
- Misua: These are thin wheat noodles, also called wheat vermicelli, that cook very quickly. You can also use rice vermicelli (bihon) or sotanghon (glass noodles).
How to Make Almondigas Soup (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Rehydrate the mushrooms
Soak 6 dried shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup hot water for about 20 minutes, or until softened.
Slice the mushrooms and save the soaking water for the broth.
Step 2: Chop the shrimp
Peel and devein about 4 ounces of shrimp, then finely chop them so they mix evenly into the bola-bola.
Step 3: Prepare the aromatics and carrot
Finely chop 3 garlic cloves, ½ medium onion, 1-2 scallions, and 1 small carrot.
You can also pulse them in a food processor until finely chopped.
If there is too much liquid, drain it so the bola-bola mixture does not get watery.
Step 4: Make the bola-bola
In a bowl, combine:
- 1 pound ground pork
- chopped shrimp
- prepared aromatics and carrot
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
Mix until evenly combined. I usually use my hands, but a spoon works too.
Step 5: Shape the bola-bola
Shape the mixture into small balls, about 1½ tablespoons each.
Wet your hands lightly to keep the mixture from sticking, or use a small scoop to make them even.
Step 6: Sauté the aromatics and mushrooms
In a large pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and sauté a small knob of ginger (julienned) until lightly browned.
Add 3 garlic cloves (minced) and ½ medium onion (finely chopped) and cook until softened.
Add the drained mushrooms (halved if large) and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 7: Make the broth
Pour in 8 cups water, including the mushroom soaking liquid if you like.
Add 1 tablespoon chicken base (or bouillon) and stir until dissolved.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 8: Add the bola-bola
Gently drop the bola-bola into the boiling broth one at a time, then lower the heat to medium.
Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
Step 9: Add the zucchini
Taste the broth and season with fish sauce, salt, and pepper as needed.
Add 1-2 zucchini (sliced) and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, just until tender.
Step 10: Add the misua
Add 4 ounces of misua and gently stir to separate the strands.
Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Misua cooks fast, so don't let it sit too long or it can get too soft.
Serve the almondigas soup with misua right away.
It's good on its own, but rice is always a good idea.
Cooking Tips
- Chop the shrimp and vegetables very finely so they mix well into the bola-bola.
- Wet your hands lightly when shaping so the mixture does not stick.
- Keep the broth at a gentle simmer after adding the bola-bola so they stay tender.
- Add the misua at the end because it cooks very quickly.
Recipe FAQs
Almondigas soup is a Filipino meatball soup made with bola-bola (pork meatballs), misua noodles, and vegetables in a light savory broth.
Misua are thin wheat noodles, also called wheat vermicelli. They cook very quickly and are usually added at the end.
The mixture may be too wet or not mixed enough. Chop the ingredients finely, drain extra liquid, and use egg and cornstarch to help bind them.
More Filipino Soup Recipes
- Sinigang: Sour tamarind soup with meat or seafood and vegetables.
- Tinola: Chicken soup with ginger, green papaya, and chili leaves.
- Bulalo: Beef shank soup with bone marrow and vegetables.
- Nilaga: Boiled beef soup with potatoes, cabbage, and saba bananas.
- Batchoy: Visayan noodle soup with pork, chicharon, and egg noodles.
- Arroz caldo: Chicken rice porridge with ginger and garlic.
- Pancit lomi: Thick noodle soup with meat, vegetables, and egg.
- Sopas: Creamy chicken macaroni soup with vegetables.
Other Noodle and Pasta Recipes You May Like
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📖 Recipe
Almondigas Soup with Misua
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork
- 4 ounces shrimp peeled & deveined, then finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ medium onion finely chopped
- 1 small carrot finely chopped
- 1-2 scallions finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
For the soup
- A small knob of ginger julienned
- ½ medium onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms halved if large
- 8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon chicken base (or bouillon)
- 1-2 zucchini
- 4 ounces misua noodles
- Fish sauce
- Salt and pepper
- Neutral oil
Instructions
- Soak the mushrooms in 1 cup hot water until softened. Slice and save the soaking liquid.
- Finely chop the shrimp, garlic, onion, scallions, and carrot.
- In a bowl, combine the ground pork, shrimp, chopped vegetables, egg, cornstarch, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined, then shape into small bola-bola.
- In a pot over medium heat, sauté the ginger in oil until fragrant. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened. Add the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes.
- Pour in the water and mushroom soaking liquid. Add the chicken base or bouillon and bring to a boil.
- Gently add the bola-bola to the broth. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until cooked through.
- Add the zucchini and cook until just tender.
- Add the misua and gently stir to separate the strands. Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Notes
- Ground pork: Use pork with a little fat so the bola-bola stays juicy. Ground chicken also works.
- Shrimp: Adds a light seafood flavor and a nice bouncy texture.
- Ginger: Adds flavor to the broth. Lemongrass also works.
- Shiitake mushrooms: These add more umami flavor to the broth.
- Zucchini: It is usually made with patola, but zucchini is similar and is easier to find. You can also use sayote or upo.
- Misua: These are thin wheat noodles that cook very quickly. You can also use rice vermicelli or glass noodles.
- Chop the shrimp and vegetables very finely so the bola-bola holds together.
- Wet your hands lightly to keep the mixture from sticking.
- Simmer gently so the bola-bola stays tender.
- Add the misua last since it cooks fast.
Mark says
This was so good and so simple to make. Thank you!
Nora Reyes says
Hi Mark, Thanks for your message. Almondigas is one of those meals I make when I want something comforting and relatively easy to make. =)