Delicious and hearty Meatball Soup is the perfect comfort food to make on cold-weather days, or anytime you need to get an easy weeknight dinner on the table. This Italian soup, reminiscent of minestrone, is a medley of tasty Mediterranean ingredients that fills your kitchen with irresistible aromas that are sure to make your family ask, “When’s dinner ready?”
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What’s in This Meatball Soup Recipe?
- Beef: We used lean ground beef for these meatballs. They’re juicy but not greasy.
- Breadcrumbs: Help bind the meatballs together.
- Cheese: Parmesan cheese adds a salty and umami flavor to the meatballs.
- Egg: Helps bind the meatballs together.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning add so much flavor to this meatball soup recipe.
- Veggies: Onion, carrots, and celery build a base of flavor. Add in some garlic to round it out.
- Tomato: Tomato paste and crushed canned tomatoes add balancing acidity to the soup.
- Broth: Low-sodium beef broth adds rich umami flavor without adding too much salt.
- Pasta: We like ditalini, but any tiny pasta will work.
- Spinach: Adds a kick of nutrition and helps mellow the tanginess of the tomato.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
With this recipe’s simple and flavorful ingredients, reminiscent of minestrone soup, you can make a perfectly healthy and wholesome soup for your family to enjoy in about an hour. The hearty Italian meatballs are the start of the show here!
Variations on Italian Meatball Soup
If you want to skip the beef in this soup recipe, consider using ground chicken (or turkey) to make the meatballs, and substitute chicken broth. It will be even lower in fat but taste just as delicious.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through. I recommend cooking and storing the ditalini separately if you plan to have leftovers to keep it from becoming mushy.
How to Freeze
Freeze this soup whole, or in individual portions, in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. If freezing, I also highly recommend leaving out the pasta until the soup has been reheated.
Serving Suggestions
This Italian soup is a hearty and satisfying dish that only needs some crusty bread or breadsticks to make it complete (and maybe a glass of red wine for the chef!). You can also serve this along with Olive Garden salad.
Meatball Soup Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning store-bought or homemade
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning store-bought or homemade
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 large can)
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1⅓ cups dry ditalini pasta
- 3 cups fresh spinach
Toppings (optional)
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Red pepper flakes
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Combine all the meatballs ingredients in a large bowl.1 pound lean ground beef, ½ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Form into 26-30 balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 15-20 minutes.
- When the meatballs have about 10 minutes left to cook, heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add in the onion, carrot, celery, salt, and Italian seasoning. Cook for a few minutes until softened.½ onion, 2 carrots, 2 ribs celery, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Add in the garlic and tomato paste, and cook for another minute.3 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add in the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, pasta, and meatballs.28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 6 cups low-sodium beef broth, 1⅓ cups dry ditalini pasta
- Bring everything to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
- Stir in the spinach until wilted.3 cups fresh spinach
- Top with parsley, parm, and red pepper flakes if desired.Chopped fresh parsley, Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, Red pepper flakes
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- To save time, you can use store-bought fresh or frozen pre-cooked meatballs. Simply add them to the soup to warm back up.
- Feel free to add additional veggies, like mushrooms or bell peppers.
- You can use chicken or vegetable broth in place of the beef broth, if you prefer.
- You can use any short pasta shape in this recipe.
Nutrition Information
To prevent these meatballs from falling apart, we bind them with an egg and breadcrumbs. We also bake them in the oven so that they set before they are added to the soup.
Absolutely! You can bake these meatballs one day in advance of when you plan to add them to the soup. Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Sure! You can add frozen pre-baked meatballs directly to this soup instead of making your own to save time!
