Place the ground beef in a mixing bowl, then add 1/2 of the cilantro, 1/2 of the chopped onion, the minced garlic, garlic salt, and onion powder.

Sprinkle with the salt and black pepper, and mix all the ingredients together using a fork.

Make the meatballs by rolling with your hands, the mixture should make 24 meatballs of this size but you can make larger or smaller balls.

Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large skillet, add the meatballs and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are browned. They don’t need to be fully cooked as they will finish cooking in the soup.

Remove the meatballs and set them aside. In the same skillet add the remaining 1/2 of the chopped onion. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until soft.

Next, pour the chicken broth into a large pot, add the onion and stir. Then add the carrots, celery and potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are nearly tender.

Place the meatballs on top and add the remaining 1/2 of the cilantro, simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and serve with tortillas or crusty bread, and garnish with fresh celery and carrots.