You can make these albóndigas with all beef, a mixture of beef and pork, or ground turkey or chicken. If you use a lean meat like turkey or chicken, increase the crema to ½ cup and increase the cheese as well.
Use whatever vegetables make you happy. I came very close to adding fresh jalapeños, poblanos, and chiles güeros because they looked so beautiful at the mercado, but I restrained myself so I could test the recipe exactly as I had written it. If the market speaks to you and you find a beautiful vegetable you want to throw into the pot, go for it.
Hierbabuena, or spearmint, is very common in this dish, whether it’s in the meatballs, the caldo, or both. I love a 50-50 mixture of hierbabuena and cilantro. The herbs smell intense when you chop them, but they mellow as they cook, give the albóndigas incredible flavor, and perfume the entire soup. I didn’t find it necessary to add any additional herbs to the soup base.
If you can’t find spearmint, other mints will do fine. If you don’t like mint or cilantro, use the tender herbs you enjoy eating. Parsley, basil, dill, or fennel fronds are all good options. It’s your soup. Cook it the way you want to, and let the market speak to you about what it wants you to cook.
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