- Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 pound tomatillos, husked and chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Soup:
- 2 pounds tomatoes, peeled
- 3 white onions, quartered
- 3/4 pound tomatillos, husked and chopped
- 2 (7 ounce) cans chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 quarts chicken broth
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges
- 1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
- Mix ground beef, 1/4 pound tomatillos, eggs, white rice, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
- Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon of the beef mixture and roll into a meatball. Repeat with remaining beef mixture.
- Combine tomatoes, 1 onion, 3/4 pound tomatillos, chipotle peppers, and 3 cloves garlic in a blender; puree until smooth.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add tomato puree; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth. Season broth with salt and pepper. Bring to a slow boil; reduce heat until broth is barely bubbling.
- Lower meatballs carefully into the hot broth; simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add remaining 2 onions, carrots, celery, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon cumin. Simmer until rice in the meatballs is cooked through, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Squeeze some lemon juice into each bowl. Serve with corn tortillas.