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Meatball Soup
Published October 2, 2024
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Hearty beefy Meatball Soup! Made with lean ground beef, a healthy dose of vegetables and herbs, a savory tomatoey broth, and lovely little ditalini pasta. A cozy soup that’s sure to satisfy!
Looking for a good side to pair with this soup? Try my homemade breadsticks, buttery garlic bread, or arugula salad.
Homemade Mini Meatball Soup
This meatball soup is a comforting soup reminiscent of spaghetti and meatballs but in homestyle, sip-able soup form! It’s an excellent thing to prepare to warm up with after a long chilly day and it pairs beautifully with salad or bread.
For a meatball vegetable soup it can be modified to reduce the carbs and replace the pasta with more vegetables. There are also options to replace the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken, or use other various types of pasta (all these ideas addressed in the variations and questions below).
Just keep in mind if you plan on having extra servings you may want to consider cooking the pasta separately if you are like me and hate soggy pasta (just reduce the broth by 1 cup if doing so).
Happy fall and welcome to sweater weather and soup season!
Meatball Soup Recipes Ingredients
Lean ground beef: I recommend using 90 to 93% lean ground beef just so the soup isn’t greasy. In a pinch 85% will work too you may just want to skim off a little fat if it rises to the top.
Panko bread crumbs: Though these are Japanese and not Italian I recommend them because they usually have minimal ingredients as opposed to traditional shelf stable bread crumbs.
Parmesan cheese: Use real refrigerated parmesan, not the shelf stable powder.
Fresh parsley and fresh basil: Fresh herbs offer the soup premium flavor but in a pinch you can use dried, see variation not below.
Egg: An egg is a critical ingredient as it will help bind and hold the meatballs together in the soup.
Italian seasoning: This is a mixed herb blend of common Italian seasonings. It is added to both the meatballs and the soup for added flavor.
Salt and black pepper: Season both the meatballs and the soup.
Olive oil: This oil is used for browning the meatballs and sauteing the vegetables.
Yellow onion, carrots, celery: This mirepoix of vegetables builds the base flavor of the soup.
Garlic: Fresh garlic is recommend for best flavor.
Low-sodium chicken broth: Regular chicken broth will work too just add less salt to the soup.
Canned crushed tomatoes and canned diced tomatoes: The two cuts of tomatoes are used for a better overall texture.
Ditalini pasta: These are small tube-like pasta commonly found at most large retailers.
How to Make Meatball Soup From Scratch
Make the Mini Meatballs
In a mixing bowl toss together, beef, panko, parmesan, egg, 2 Tbsp parsley, the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Break up the beef as you toss to evenly combine ingredients, just don’t over-work the mixture for more tender meatballs.
Scoop mixture out just over 1 Tbsp at a time (I use a #60 cookie scoop, lightly heaped), and shape into 1-inch meatballs, set them on a baking tray or cutting board as you work.
Saute the Vegetables
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute 8 to 9 minutes until almost tender.
Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
Brown the Meatballs
Meanwhile drizzle remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add meatballs once heated and cook until golden brown on top and bottom, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer to a plate (if you have some browned bits in the pan deglaze it with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and add it to the soup mixture once veggies are sauteed with remaining chicken broth for added flavor).
Add Canned Ingredients Plus Seasonings and Simmer
To the sautéed vegetable mixture add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, remaining 1 tsp Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Finish Cooking Meatballs in the Soup with the Pasta
Add meatballs and pasta, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until pasta is tender (and the meatballs should be fully cooked through at this point), about 13 to 15 minutes.
Add Fresh Herbs
Off heat stir in remaining 4 Tbsp parsley and the basil. Thin soup with more broth as needed (it will thicken as it rests). Top individual servings with shredded parmesan cheese to taste.
Possible Variations
- Protein: Ground chicken or ground turkey will work in this recipe in place of ground beef. Just prepare as directed with the substitution.
- Leafy greens: You can also add kale, spinach, or escarole to this soup for added nutrition.
- Vegetables: If you want to increase vegetables try adding zucchini, peas, green beans, bell pepper, corn, potatoes (dice small), or mushrooms to the soup.
- No pasta: For a vegetable meatball soup simply omit the pasta and replace with one or more of the vegetables listed above.
- Dried herbs: If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand you can use 2 tsp dried basil and 4 tsp dried parsley (2 tsp parsley in the meatballs, 2 tsp in soup). Just add the dried herbs when adding the Italian seasoning rather then at the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular bread crumbs in place of panko bread crumbs?
Yes regular breadcrumbs may be used as well. Just use 6 Tbsp in the recipe since they are finer than panko.
Is there a substitute for ditalini pasta?
Other good options to use in place of ditalini include macaroni, orzo, or small shells.
How can you tell when meatballs are done cooking in soup?
The easiest way to tell when meatballs are done cooking in soup is to take their internal temperature using an instant read food thermometer, they should register 160 °F. Remove a few from various areas of the soup to test their internal temperature. In this recipe however they should be well done by the time the pasta is done since they are smaller meatballs and are browned beforehand for a head start.
Is meatball soup healthy?
Made with red meat this soup may not be the healthiest option. To make it healthier consider using ground turkey or ground chicken as mentioned in the variations above.
How to Store Meatball Soup
- Meatball soup can be stored in the fridge an an airitght container for 3 days.
- It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Tip for leftovers: If you plan on having extra and don’t like soft pasta, then boil it separately and reduce broth in soup by 1 cup. Add pasta to individual servings, you can even freeze pasta separately.
More Italian Style Soup Recipes to Try
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Minestrone
- Pasta e Fagioli
- Vegetable Lentil Soup
- Zuppa Toscana
