1. Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, swirl the pan to coat, and add all except a ½ cup of the onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally until just soft. Dice the potato into ½-inch cubes and slice the carrots into ¼-inch slices while the onion cooks.
2. Once the onion is soft, add the tomato paste and ⅔ of the garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots, broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, and ½ teaspoon cumin. Stir well and increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil.
3. While the broth is coming to a boil, make the meatballs. Finely dice the remaining ½ cup of onion. Place it in a large bowl with the ground beef, the remaining garlic, salt, pepper, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of cumin. Use your hands to mix, equally distributing all of the ingredients without overworking the meat.
4. Once the soup is boiling reduce heat to medium. Shape the meat into 1-inch meatballs, gently placing them into the soup as you do so. Use the back of a large spoon to gently press the meatballs under the broth.
5. Quarter the zucchinis lengthwise and cut into ½-inch pieces. Add them to the soup and gently stir (taking care to not break up the meatballs) so they are submerged in the broth.
6. Cover the soup and allow it to simmer untouched for 20 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
7. Add the green beans and gently stir the soup to combine, being careful not to break the meatballs. Continue to simmer another 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are done to your liking and the meatballs are cooked through.
8. Serve soup in bowls topped with optional toppings if desired.

Beer Pairing

Recommended Beer Style: Mexican Lager

• Ska Brewing Mexican Lager