If you’re looking for a new soup recipe, then I highly recommend making this delicious Italian meatball soup recipe. This Italian style soup gets its subtle sweet and savory flavors from the beef meatballs, pasta, and tender vegetables simmered in a rich tomato broth. Honestly, it’s like having some classic spaghetti and meatballs, but in a soup version. I made this pasta soup for dinner and it was such a delicious meal starter and side dish. Every bite was just so flavorful and perfectly tender that I decided to make more of it to share with family!
This Italian meatball soup is basically a variation of the popular Italian wedding soup. The traditional version uses chicken broth mixed with meatballs, herbs and other veggies to elevate the taste. For my recipe, however, I used crushed tomatoes instead so it has a much thicker soup base than the traditional Italian wedding soup. When I made this Italian meatball soup recipe, I started making the beef meatballs from scratch. You can use store bought frozen meatballs, but I prefer making my own. Anything homemade for me is a hundred times better!
The ingredients are really simple and easy to find so you don’t have to worry about going to an Italian grocery store for the ingredients. For the homemade meatballs, I used lean ground beef. You can also use ground chicken, ground pork, ground turkey, or even spicy or sweet Italian sausages as an alternative. Once you have your meat, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and then shape them into small balls.
I proceeded to broil them in the oven, and while they were cooking, I made the delicious tomato soup base. Start cooking the vegetables first to release the flavors and make them tender. Afterwards, I added the crushed tomatoes (or diced tomatoes), tomato sauce, beef broth, and the seasonings. Let the broth simmer before adding the cooked beef meatballs and uncooked pasta into the pot. I added the parsley and parmesan cheese last, and then covered it to let the sauce thicken.
Other people would include more veggies like baby spinach or lentils to make an Italian meatball and lentil soup variation. Sometimes, they even add a can of cannellini beans for added texture and flavor. I tried the beans before, and they were yummier since the slightly nutty taste of the beans paired well with the meatballs and broth. You can also switch up your pasta with other short and bite-sized pastas. Long and thin pastas are not ideal for this soup dish since it’s not really spaghetti – it’s soup. I’ve tried rotini pasta, but you can also experiment with elbow macaroni, ditalini, tubetti, anelli, or even rotelle (wagon wheels)!
How To Make Italian Meatball Soup
This Italian meatball soup recipe is a hearty dish made with beef meatballs, veggies, and pasta all simmered in an indulgent tomato broth. Serve with a tasty slice of crusty bread.
Serves:
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning, dried
- ½ tsp parsley, dried
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- ⅓ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Cooking spray
For the Soup:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ cup onion, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 15 oz tomatoes, crushed
- 16 oz tomato sauce
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning, dried
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup short pasta, uncooked
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
Instructions
Meatballs:
- For the meatballs, place all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Stir with a large spoon or use your hands to combine all the ingredients.
- Shape the meat mixture into small balls. Place on a baking sheet pan lined with cooking spray. Coat the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray.
- Broil for 8 to 10 minutes until the meatballs are lightly browned.
Soup:
- While the meatballs are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots.
- Cook the vegetables for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and pasta to the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
- Top with parsley. Serve with parmesan cheese if desired.
- Cover the pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook slowly until chili has reduced and thickened for about 1 hour.
- Season with sea salt and stir in cilantro.
Nutrition
- Calories: 463.77kcal
- Fat: 26.58g
- Saturated Fat: 8.19g
- Trans Fat: 0.89g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 12.65g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.81g
- Carbohydrates: 30.80g
- Fiber: 4.31g
- Sugar: 8.41g
- Protein: 26.34g
- Cholesterol: 85.95mg
- Sodium: 1294.16mg
- Calcium: 198.15mg
- Potassium: 1254.02mg
- Iron: 4.49mg
- Vitamin A: 257.59µg
- Vitamin C: 19.74mg
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