Add 1 pound of ground beef, ¼ diced onion, 3 cloves minced garlic, ⅛ cup breadcrumbs, ⅛ cup uncooked rice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of oregano, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and egg. Mix and make meatballs, set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in 5 whole roma tomatoes, ½ red bell pepper, quartered onion, and 2 whole garlic cloves. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the tomato skins start to pull away from the flesh of the tomatoes and the onions soften.

Drain and add the vegetables to a blender with 1-2 chipotles en adobo, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander and, if needed a ½ cup of the broth.

Then, into the soup pot, add the pureed tomato sauce with the rest of the chicken broth, tasting and adjusting the seasoning to your liking before adding the carrots, potatoes, and meatballs. The amount of salt you will need to add will vary depending on the brand of broth that you are using. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and cook for 20 minutes. Then, add the zucchini and cilantro and cook for another 10 minutes.

We like to add a ½ cup of rice to the bottom of each bowl, ladle soup over the top of that, and then top with crumbled queso fresco, more cilantro, and a spritz of lime. You can also heat up some corn tortillas and use it to dip into the soup if you’d like.