Almondigas is a Filipino meatball soup with misua, or thin wheat vermicelli noodles, in a flavorful broth. It's a quick, comforting and dish that comes together in no time!
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What is Almondigas?
Almondigas is a traditional meatball soup from the Philippines, with bola-bola (ground pork meatballs) and misua (thin wheat vermicelli noodles). It has a clear, savory broth with patola (sponge gourd).
Its Spanish or Mexican counterpart, Albondigas, includes ground meat and rice meatballs in a tomato-based broth, with vegetables such as carrots and potatoes.
In this Filipino version of bola-bola soup, I'm adding shrimp to give the meatballs a subtle seafood flavor and a nice springy texture, shiitake mushrooms for a boost of umami flavor, and zucchini because it's easy to find and works great in this dish.
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Ground Pork: I like a mix that's about 80% meat to 20% fat-it makes the meatballs really juicy. If you prefer something lighter, ground chicken is a great alternative, or you could even mix them.
- Shrimp: This adds a bouncy texture and subtle seafood flavor. Feel free to skip this if you prefer a simpler version.
- Shiitake Mushrooms: This adds an earthy umami element. You can also use lemongrass or other aromatic ingredients like ginger to add flavor to the broth.
- Zucchini: I'm using this versatile vegetable that's readily available, though patola (sponge gourd) is typically used. Sayote (chayote) and upo (bottle gourd) are excellent alternatives with a similar texture and mild flavor.
- Misua: These are thin, delicate wheat vermicelli noodles. Rice vermicelli (bihon) and sotanghon (glass noodles) are good alternatives.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Rehydrate the mushrooms
Soak the mushrooms in hot water until they are fully rehydrated. This helps soften the mushrooms and bring out their rich flavor. Don't toss the soaking water-save it and add it to the soup for an extra flavor boost.
Step 2: Prepare shrimp
Peel and deveine the shrimp, then finely chop them so they mix evenly throughout.
Step 3: Prepare other ingredients
Chop up the garlic, onion, scallions, and carrot into tiny pieces. If you have a food processor, toss them in there to make the job quicker and get them really fine, which is great for the texture of your meatballs. If you end up with any extra juice, just pour it off to keep the mixture from getting too soggy.
Step 4: Make the meatballs
In a bowl, mix together the ground meat, shrimp, garlic, onion, carrot, scallions, egg, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and fish sauce. Just dive in with your clean hands and give everything a good mix until it's all well combined.
Step 5: Shape the meatballs
Shape the mixture into small balls, each about 1½ inches in diameter (that's roughly 1½ tablespoons). If you've got a cookie or ice cream scoop, use it to keep all the pieces uniform and even.
PRO TIP: If you're shaping the meatballs with your hands, wet them first to keep the mixture from sticking. Refrigerating the mixture for about an hour before shaping helps firm it up, making it easier to handle and shape into meatballs.
Step 6: Sauté aromatics and mushrooms
In a large pot over medium heat, heat some oil and sauté the ginger until it is lightly browned and fragrant. Then toss in the garlic and onion, cooking until they soften. Finally, add the drained mushrooms and sauté for a few more minutes.
Step 7: Prepare the broth
Pour in 8 cups of water and add the chicken base or bouillon, dissolving it into the liquid. Then, turn up the heat to medium-high and bring everything to a boil.
Step 8: Add meatballs
Carefully drop the meatballs into the pot one at a time. Then, turn down the heat to medium, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.
Step 9: Add zucchini
Give the soup a taste and adjust the seasoning with fish sauce, salt, and pepper as needed. Then toss in the zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until it's just starting to get tender.
Step 10: Add misua noodles
Add the misua (wheat vermicelli), gently mixing to separate the strands. Let it cook for just about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
PRO TIP: Misua cooks super fast, so watch it closely to make sure it doesn't get too soft or mushy.
Serve your Almondigas soup alongside a bowl of fluffy white steamed rice for the ultimate comforting meal!
Recipe FAQs
It's usually because the mixture might be too wet or it's missing a good binding agent, like an egg. Remember to simmer the soup gently-boiling it too vigorously can cause the meatballs to break up. This way, you'll help keep your meatballs perfectly intact for a more enjoyable meal.
Absolutely! Rice vermicelli (bihon noodles) are a great choice; they're thin and have a slight chewiness that works well in soups. Sotanghon (glass noodles) are another excellent option with their unique translucent appearance and smooth texture. Both alternatives blend beautifully into the soup, adding their own special twist.
More Filipino soups
- Sinigang: A tangy tamarind-based soup typically including pork, shrimp, or fish, along with vegetables like kangkong (water spinach) and radish.
- Tinola: A ginger-flavored chicken soup with green papaya and chili pepper leaves.
- Bulalo: A beef soup with shank and bone marrow, with vegetables like cabbage, corn, and potatoes.
- Nilaga: A beef soup with tender beef cuts, potatoes, and saba bananas.
- Batchoy: A noodle soup from the Visayas region with a meaty broth, egg noodles, pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, and sometimes a raw egg.
- Arroz Caldo: Rice porridge flavored with chicken, ginger, and garlic, then garnished with green onions, fried garlic, and a squeeze of calamansi.
- Pancit Lomi: A hearty soup with wheat or egg noodles, a variety of proteins, and vegetables in a thick broth with beaten eggs.
- Sopas: A chicken noodle soup with shredded chicken, elbow macaroni, hotdogs, and vegetables with a creamy broth.
Other noodle and pasta recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Almondigas Recipe
Equipment
- A heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork or chicken see note
- ¼ cup shrimp finely chopped; see note
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ medium onion finely chopped
- 1 small carrot (about 4 ounces) finely grated
- 1-2 scallions finely chopped
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (sub: all purpose flour)
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt use less for table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce sub: oyster sauce
For the soup
- Small knob of ginger julienned
- ½ medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 shiitake mushrooms cut in half, if big; see note
- 8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon chicken base (or bouillon)
- 1-2 zucchini see note
- 4-6 ounces wheat vermicelli or misua see note
- Fish sauce to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Neutral oil for sautéing
Instructions
- Soak the mushrooms in hot water until fully rehydrated. Don't toss the soaking water-save it and add it to the soup for an extra flavor boost.
- Peel and deveine the shrimp, then finely chop them so they mix evenly throughout.
- Finely chop the garlic, onion, scallions, and carrot. If available, use a food processor to speed up this process and yield really fine pieces for an even better texture. Discard any excess juice to maintain the consistency of the meatballs.
- In a bowl, combine the ground meat, shrimp, garlic, onion, carrot, scallions, egg, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and fish sauce. Use your clean hand and combine them well.
- Form the mixture into small balls, about 1½-inch in diameter (about 1½ tablespoons). If you have a cookie or ice cream scoop, use it for uniform and consistent pieces.
- In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the ginger in a bit of oil until lightly browned and fragrant. Then, sauté garlic and onion until softened. Finally, add the drained mushrooms and sauté for a few more minutes.
- Pour in 8 cups of water and add the chicken base or bouillon, dissolving it into the liquid. Turn up the heat to medium-high and let it boil.
- Gently add the meatballs one at a time. Lower to medium heat, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with fish sauce, salt, and pepper as needed. Add the zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until it's just starting to get tender.
- Add the misua, gently mixing to separate the strands. Let it cook for just about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Notes
- Ground Pork: Use a mix that's around 80% meat to 20% fat for juicy results. You can use ground chicken for a lighter option or a combination.
- Shrimp: Adds a bouncy texture and subtle seafood flavor. Feel free to skip this if you prefer a simpler version.
- Shiitake Mushrooms: Adds an earthy umami element. You can also use lemongrass or other aromatic ingredients like ginger to amplify the taste of the broth.
- Zucchini: I'm using this versatile vegetable that's readily available, though patola is typically used. Sayote and upo are excellent alternatives with a similar texture and mild flavor.
- Misua: These are thin, delicate wheat vermicelli noodles. Rice vermicelli (bihon) and sotanghon (glass noodles) are suitable alternatives.
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. =)