Easy Meatball Soup
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Easy Meatball Soup is filled with mini meatballs, veggies, and ditalini in a rich tomato broth. Secretly healthy and absolutely delicious! This Italian soup recipe is easy to make on the stovetop, or in a crockpot or Instant Pot! This post is sponsored by our friends at ButcherBox.
If you’re looking for a unique soup recipe that’s full of flavor, this Italian meatball soup recipe is for you! It’s a richer, more flavorful version of classic Italian Wedding Soup!
When you’re not in a rush, cook in a dutch oven on a stovetop, or let it slow cook in your crockpot. But, if you’re short on time, make the tiny beef meatballs and ditalini pasta soup in an Instant Pot.
With simple steps and mostly pantry ingredients, it’s a breeze to put together, making it the ideal go-to recipe when you’re craving a wholesome meal loaded with veggies without any fuss!
Liz’s tips for easy meatball soup
- Use a food processor to chop your veggies! A food processor can save you so much time
- Don’t worry about the shape of the meat balls. It can be tough to make tiny little balls with your hands, so don’t worry if they’re not perfect. Once they bake and cook in the soup you won’t even notice because they’ll be so tender.
- Save time by chopping and prepping ahead. We like to make the mini meatballs the day before we plan to make the recipe, and you can even chop the veggies ahead if you want to!
- The key to preventing soggy meatballs is not to under or overcook them. The proper ratio of cheese, breadcrumbs, and eggs will also help you avoid soggy meatballs.
Ingredients
Substitutions
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee.
Ground Beef: We like 80/20 ground beef. Feel free to use lean ground beef depending on what you like. I haven’t tried making this with ground turkey, but I think it would work. We also have Chicken Meatball Soup if you prefer ground chicken.
Egg: An egg helps bind the meatballs together. I haven’t tried it without it, but I think it would work!
Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs also act as a binder. You can use gluten free breadcrumbs if necessary.
Broth: Broth and stock are the same thing! You can use any broth or stock interchangeably. Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth all work interchangeably. I always use low or no salt broth.
Pasta: I also tested this recipe with orzo and thought it was delicious! You could also use noodles, broken up spaghetti, alphabet, or any small pasta! I haven’t tried it with gluten free pasta, but I think it would work. I would cook gluten free pasta separately and add it to a bowl when serving rather than cooking it in the soup to prevent it from getting mushy.
Other vegetables: You can add cauliflower rice to this soup if you’d like. Feel free to add more carrots, celery, spinach, or onion.
Crushed Tomatoes: If you have leftover tomato sauce, that will also work!
Spices: This recipe is delicious as is, but if you want to use fresh herbs, it’s even better! Try adding a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley or basil.
Parmesan Cheese Rind: Parmesan cheese rinds add so much flavor to soup. You remove it at the end like a bay leaf! If you don’t have them, you can skip this ingredient. You can buy them in the cheese section of most grocery stores and freeze them for whenever you want to make soup.
Beans: This soup is delicious with beans added to it! We like cannellini beans or great northern beans. Alternatively, you could also add mini meatballs to our Pasta Fagioli.
Choosing the Healthiest Ground Beef for Meatballs
We love using ButcherBox ground beef whenever we’re making meatballs or really any recipe with ground beef! (like this Taco Pasta and Hamburger Casserole)
We’ve been ButcherBox customers for many years and love how convenient it is. They have an awesome promo going on right now when you give it a try!
How to Make easy Meatball Soup
- Mix meatball ingredients until combined. Drop 1/2″ round meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add ingredients (except chopped spinach and pasta) to the pot! Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the directions on the package call for.
- Once the pasta is cooked, remove the bay leaf and parmesan cheese rind. Stir in chopped spinach until wilted and serve!
Serving Suggestions
- Veggies, like Green Beans Almondine, Lemon Asparagus, or Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan
- A simple side salad, like our Italian Chopped Salad or our Healthy Caesar Salad
- Bread or rolls – We love this sourdough bread!
Don’t forget – right now when you try ButcherBox you can get free ground beef and $10 off!
Storing & Reheating
Storing: These soup leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing! If you can, we recommend freezing without the pasta, but if you can’t do that, the pasta might just be a little soft when you thaw it.
If you need more freezer friendly recipes, check out our Fill Your Freezer Ebook with 22 easy freezer meals!
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Other healthy dinner recipes:
Looking for other easy meals? Check out these 40+ Healthy Dinner Ideas. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Easy Meatball Soup
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup minced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups quartered carrots
- ¾ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ⅛ teaspoon salt optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 parmesan cheese rind optional
- 2 quarts low sodium chicken broth
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chopped spinach about 6 oz bag
- ¾ cup ditalini uncooked
Instructions
Stove Top Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs until combined.
- Roll the meatballs into teaspoon-size round balls and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. They can be fairly close together as they do not spread.
- Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes at 450 degrees F until they are browned. Set aside.
- While the meatballs are cooking, start the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the meatballs, basil, oregano, black pepper, thyme, red pepper, salt, bay leaf, cheese rind, chicken broth, and crushed tomatoes. Stir together. Cover the pot, turn the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil. It will take about 10 minutes to come to a boil.
- Once the soup is boiling, add the pasta to the pot and cook uncovered for half the recommended cook time on the package. (The pasta will continue to cook, so it’s best to undercook it.)
- Note: You can cook the pasta in a separate pot and add it to your bowl later if you prefer firmer pasta.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Remove the bay leaf and cheese rind.
- Stir in the chopped spinach until wilted.
Crockpot Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs until combined.
- Roll the meatballs into teaspoon-size round balls and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. They can be fairly close together as they do not spread.
- Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes at 450 degrees F until they are browned. Set aside.
- While the meatballs are cooking, start the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes. (Note: You don’t have to sauté the veggies but we highly recommend it!)
- Once cooked, add the veggie mixture to the crockpot base.
- Add the meatballs, basil, oregano, black pepper, thyme, red pepper, salt, bay leaf, cheese rind, chicken broth, and crushed tomatoes. Stir together. Do NOT add the chopped spinach or pasta to the pot! Cover the pot and cook the soup on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
- 30 minutes before serving, remove the bay leaf and parmesan cheese rind. Stir in chopped spinach until wilted.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil on the stove and cook pasta (you can slightly undercook it so it doesn't get soggy.) Once pasta is cooked, stir into the soup.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs until combined.
- Roll the meatballs into teaspoon-size round balls and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. They can be fairly close together as they do not spread.
- Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes at 450 degrees F until they are browned. Set aside.
- While the meatballs are cooking, start the soup. Set your instant pot to sauté for 5 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the meatballs, basil, oregano, black pepper, thyme, red pepper, salt, bay leaf, cheese rind, chicken broth, and crushed tomatoes. Stir together. Do NOT add the chopped spinach or pasta to the pot!
- Set the instant pot to Sealing and Pressure cook for 7 minutes. Allow the soup to natural release for 5 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Pro Tip: When it's time to release the steam, you can lightly drape a dishtowel over the vent to prevent it from spraying all over your kitchen.
- While the soup is cooking, bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook pasta per directions on the package on the stove. (You can also set the pot to saute, bring the soup to a boil and cook the pasta right in the pot but you may need to add more chicken broth.)
- Once soup has finished releasing the steam, remove the bay leaf and parmesan cheese rind. Stir in chopped spinach until wilted. Stir in cooked pasta.
Video
This recipe is amazing – I’ve made it several
Times now. And each time it’s been just as good as the last. The meatballs are delicious, the veggies are so good, and it’s really quick for a weeknight meal when you really don’t feel like doing a lot. I meal prepped this on Sunday and then ate it for lunches during the week and for dinner a couple nights. I even had extras for the freezer. Highly recommend if you love soups like me!
Not only is this recipe easy to make, it delicious and satisfying. It is chock full of veggies and little meatballs and feels very indulgent. I highly recommend this soup for lunches or dinner during these cold winter months.
We made this the other night for dinner and it was sooooooo good!!! And it’s one of those recipes that gets better as it sits so leftovers were great too!!!’
So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I didn’t think there would ever be a soup that I would love as much as your pasta fagioli but this soup is so good! We made it with ground turkey and find it to be very filling and delicious. It’s perfect for this cold Midwest weather we are having right now. This is definitely a soup we will make again!
This recipe is amazingly delicious and perfect for a cold winter day/night. I didn’t make any adjustments it is just great following the entire recipe as is.
So glad you liked it!
This soup was wonderful, very easy to make up. I did use frozen Italian meatballs, to save time, and the flavor of this soup was outstanding. Will continue to make it often, especially during the winter months!
So glad you liked it!
This recipe is a winner! I enjoyed making it and it was a hit with the family. It was even better the second day. I added green beans to get a few more veggies in.
So glad you liked it, Julie! Great idea to add green beans.
I had never made a meatball soup recipe before, but this was such a fun and easy recipe to make!! All the flavors were wonderful and I will definitely be making again!
So glad you liked, it Stephanie!
The flavors in this soup are incredible! We cheated and used frozen meatballs because we already had them, but I’m sure there homemade ones make it taste even better! Cooked it in the crockpot and it turned out perfectly! Will definitely make again!
Great soup!
I used half a small can of tomato paste instead of crushed tomatoes, and the broth was great.
I don’t eat wheat, so I skipped the breadcrumbs and the meatballs were perfectly fine without it.
They were a little labor-intensive, but so worth it.
I added potatoes instead of pasta, which I thought would be maybe be a little weird, but it was fine.
I also substituted kale for the spinach.
Delicious and the meatballs were so aromatic!
This is the best soup recipe ever!
Excellent easy, cozy, rich recipe that your whole fam will love! I added crushed fennel seeds and a can of white beans to the broth, however the recipe is super as is😊
This soup was absolutely amazing! The mini meatballs are totally worth the extra work! Great flavor, lots of veggies, and perfect amount of spice! Top contender for favorite soup recipe!
This was awesome! I have to do low sodium for my husband so I used no salt tomatoes and herb ox salt free bouillon for the broth. I added a little salt and it came out to about 240 mg sodium which is wonderful!
This soup is so good!! The meatballs had great flavor and held their shape perfectly. Nothing was mushy. I used the stovetop instructions and didn’t change a thing. I did make extra servings but the calculations worked well. My two teenage boys ate two bowls each!!
I made the soup and really liked the meatball addition. I must have done something wrong as it tasted rather bland even with all the wonderful vegetables in it. Maybe I needed more spices or garlic or onion. Maybe I am just not used to eating such healthy Food! I do like all the ingredients but would like some advice as to what to add to get more taste. Also, we are not spicy people so maybe that was my mistake by it adding them. Any advice?
Hi! thanks for your feedback! No one else has commented that it was bland and we’ve made it quite a few times so I’m not sure what went wrong! You could try doubling the spices if you’d like. This isn’t a spicy soup, so I’m not sure what you’re referring to there!
Perfect comfort food for a snowy New England day!!
5/5. This was a winner with everyone. Even my picky 11 year old! Served with a loaf of sourdough and it hit the spot on this cold winter day.
This recipe was the perfect New England snowy day soup. Warm and hearty, a new family favorite!!
I’m always looking for great soups to add to the dinner rotation during colder months. This one is definitely a hit! The work that goes into the meatballs is worth it. My 4 year old, who proclaimed he “hates soup,” ate several servings.
The soup is so good! My husband is currently eating his second bowl for dinner. The meatballs are so tender and yummy. Love all the veggies. Great flavor and very comforting!
I made this and it was good. The broth has a wonderful flavor as did the whole soup. I made mine in the instant pot for a quick and deliciously fast version.
Can this recipe be made without the crushed tomatoes? Will taste be ruined?
It won’t ruin the taste but it definitely wont be as good!
Omg so amazing!! Next time I make this I need to follow the advice to make the meatballs VERY small as I think it will take it over the top! We will definitely be making this again!
Did you make this on the stove ? Debating how to cook it and what’s best 🙂 thanks
We tested it on the stovetop, instant pot and the crockpot. They’re all good, but I like the stovetop especially if you’re going to cook the pasta right in the soup.
Thanks ! It turned out amazing! Making it again today 😊🙏🏻