ByDonna Elick
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MyItalian Meatball Soupis loaded with pasta, veggies, and scrumptious meatballs cooked in a tomato broth. Make some tonight in just 30 minutes! When it comes to homemade meatballs in soup, these have a lot of flavor!
A warm, hearty, feel-good dish with an easy clean up? Say no more!
I love this delicious soup recipe! It’s the perfect hearty meatball soup for a busy weeknight and a great way to feed the whole family.
Having a pot of homemade soup ready to enjoy is one of the perks of this dish.
It’s a delicious Italian wedding soup, with added Italian meatballs, and has the best rich flavor.
You’ll love the ease of the full instructions to make the meatball mixture – it’s a breeze!
Italian Meatball Soup
This Italian soup with meatballs is rich and flavorful without being too heavy. It’s also perfect to satisfy those pasta cravings without overindulging!
If the sound of this meatball soup recipe is making you drool, take a look at my collection ofsoup and stew recipes.
With all the options, there is surely something for everyone.
Or try this simplewedding souporgnocchi souprecipe!
For more traditional comfort foods, check out mychilias well as mygooey mac and cheese.
Both of them are slow cooker recipes, so they’re perfect for cold nights when you don’t want to spend too much time out from under your blanket.
See our tips for making perfect meatballs in the video!Look for it in the recipe card, at the bottom of this post.
Italian Meatball Soup Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Switch up the meat.Ground turkey or chicken are wonderful lean alternatives, or you can try spicy pork sausage to add a little heat.
- Prep ahead of time.You can always freeze your meatballs in advance, then drop them in the meatball soup straight from the freezer.
- Make it spicy.Include a pinch of red pepper flakes in the meat mixture – a little goes a long way!
- Don’t have Italian Seasoning?Combine the following in a small bowl for an easy substitute: ¾ teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon dried basil, ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and ¼ teaspoon dried sage.
- Stir gently!Otherwise, the delicate meatballs may begin to break apart.
Serving Suggestions
A simple salad with breadsticks orgarlic knotsfor dipping is all you really need alongside this Italian soup with meatballs.
Or, stretch your servings by enjoying a smaller bowl and agrilled cheese sandwich!
Italian Meatball Soup FAQ
Do frozen meatballs work with this meatball soup recipe?
I don’t see why not! While I’m personally a fan of making my own, frozen can work too. You may have to adjust the cooking time and keep an eye on them to make sure they’re fully cooked, though.
Can I cook my Italian meatball soup in a slow cooker instead?
Because the pasta cooks in the liquid, I don’t recommend it.
I do have aslow cooker Italian soupthat has a similar flavor and plenty of veggies. Just swap the sausage with meatballs! For the pasta, prepare some on the stove, then stir it in right before serving.
How do I store leftovers of this hearty Italian meatball soup?
Freezing this flavorful soup is a great first step to prepping meals for later. Freezing can be a great option to save for later, but just so you know, since this hearty soup has pasta in it, there is a chance that it unthaws with a different texture.
If you want to make the soup without the tiny little round pasta, then you can easily freeze this great recipe full of tender beef meatballs without any stress at all.
Can I use another type of meat besides Italian sausage?
You can. If you want to make little meatballs out of lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken, this works! You will still be able to have juicy meatballs and make the best meatball soup, even when changing the type of meat.
While I’m a fan of making Italian-style meatballs, that doesn’t mean that you can’t change the ingredients a little bit. Turkey meatballs are still delicious and make tender meatballs!
The best part about making your own meatballs is that you can make round balls out of various types of meat. It may be a few extra steps to change and combine meatball ingredients, but it’s worth it.
You can even make mini meatballs and change the shape, too. I find that making my own meatballs are so much better than anything that I can buy at the grocery store. I love the added flavor that they bring!
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Once cooled to room temperature, transfer your meatball soup to an airtight container and enjoy within three days for best results.
Reheat in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave-safe dish until the Italian meatball soup is warmed through to a food-safe temperature of 165°F.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Easy Soup Recipes
Italian Meatball Soup +Video
Donna Elick
Italian Meatball Soup includes pasta, veggies, and perfect juicy meatballs in a tomato broth. Make this easy soup recipe in only 30 minutes!
5 stars from 2 reviews
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Method Stovetop
Servings 6 – 8
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, washed and diced
- 8 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 14.5 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 pound ditalini pasta, or your favorite pasta
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef, 80-90% lean
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 large egg
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
In a large 8 quart pot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil.
Meanwhile, chop the carrots and celery. Add them to the warm pot. Cook vegetables for 1-2 minutes.
Add the beef broth, water, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with hands to combine. Be careful not to over mix or your meatballs will not be tender.
Use a 1 tablespoon scoop to portion, then lightly shape the scoops into meatballs using your hands to roll them. Drop them into the broth, distributing them evenly around the pot. Cover. Allow soup to boil for 5 minutes. Stir meatballs gently, so they do not break apart.
Add pasta. Stir. Cook 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Sprinkle basil and parsley over top, stir and serve.
Video
Donna’s Notes
You can substitute this Italian Seasoning recipe for premade dry Italian seasoning: 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 3/4 teaspoon dried basil, 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
Once cooled to room temperature, transfer into an airtight container and enjoy within three days for best results.
Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until the soup is warmed through to a food-safe temperature of 165°F.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 364cal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1067mg | Sugar: 5g | Fiber: 4g | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 4mg
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Originally published January 2013. Updated and republished January 2024
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate linkyour price will remain the sameand The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for your support; it allows us to keep creating new recipes.
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