Meatball Soup Recipe

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By: Krista TeigenPosted: 2/25/24Updated: 2/25/24

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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?”

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.

Recipe

5 from 3 votes

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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.

Storage:Store meatball soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I highly recommend storing the ditalini separately to keep it from becoming mushy.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1bowl Calories: 443kcal (22%) Carbohydrates: 51g (17%) Protein: 31g (62%) Fat: 13g (20%) Saturated Fat: 5g (31%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 6g Trans Fat: 0.5g Cholesterol: 84mg (28%) Sodium: 1497mg (65%) Potassium: 1519mg (43%) Fiber: 6g (25%) Sugar: 10g (11%) Vitamin A: 4747IU (95%) Vitamin C: 21mg (25%) Calcium: 163mg (16%) Iron: 5mg (28%)

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How do you keep meatballs from falling apart in soup?

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.

Can you make the meatballs ahead of time?

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.

Can you use frozen meatballs?

Sure! You can add frozen pre-baked meatballs directly to this soup instead of making your own to save time!

More Soup Recipes We Love

Chicken Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Hash Brown Potato Soup
Beer Cheese Soup
Ham and Bean Soup
Cabbage Soup

Meet Krista Teigen

In 2014, after a decade of work in the HR and Technical Communication fields, Krista Teigan decided to follow her passion for healthy cooking by starting food blog. Along the way, she honed her recipe development and food photography skills, and today, she is thrilled to be helping others in the food blogging space to develop and photograph mouth-watering recipes. Krista lives in Shoreview, Minnesota with her husband and two children. Outside of the kitchen, she enjoys exploring the Twin Cities food scene, cheering for her fave Minnesota sports teams, sweating on her Peloton, and jamming out to 90s and 2000s hits.

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