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Made with homemade meatballs in a rich tomato broth with veggies and pasta, this Meatball Soup Recipe is hearty and delicious. Perfect for any meal.
To me, it’s always soup season. Especially when it comes to this Meatball Soup Recipe, it’s truly perfect for a busy weeknight.
I just can’t get enough of tender meatballs. I have to say, if you know me personally, you KNOW I have a thing about meatballs.
Everyone loves to make fun of me about this, but I usually don’t like meatballs unless I know who made them and, like….1 restaurant. I’m so picky, it’s more of a texture thing, I hate a dense meatball.
So this is why I made my own meatballs for this hearty soup and I really think it makes a difference.
I like to make a large pot so we can enjoy it the next day. It’s one of those soups that the longer it sits, the better it gets.
Although, with the addition of pasta to it, it can get a little tricky. If you know you are not going to consume the whole soup in one sitting, you need to cook the pasta separately, or as it sits, the noodles will soak up all the liquid.
In this case, if I am making it for a crowd, I’ll only make one Meatball Soup Recipe instead of doubling it like I normally do to eat off of for days. Either way, once you try it you can’t stop eating it!
Some of our other favorite meatball recipes on our site include: Meatballs and Gravy, Crockpot Swedish Meatballs, and Cranberry Meatballs.
Jump to:
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- HOW TO MAKE MEATBALL SOUP RECIPE:
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
- WHAT KIND OF GROUND BEEF IS BEST TO USE?
- HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THE MEATBALLS ARE DONE?
- DO I HAVE TO BAKE THE MEATBALLS FIRST?
- CAN I ADD ANYTHING?
- ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
- HOW TO STORE:
- DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Italian Meatball Soup Recipe
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- It makes a lot to feed a crowd.
- Great for make-ahead meal prepping.
- Easily customize to fit your tastes.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Lean ground beef
- Parmesan cheese
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Large egg, well beaten
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sweet onion
- Carrot
- Celery
- Garlic, minced
- Beef stock
- Can Italian style petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- Tomato sauce
- Bay leaves
- Italian seasoning
- Ditalini pasta
- Fresh basil leaves, roughly torn by hand
HOW TO MAKE MEATBALL SOUP RECIPE:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, parmesan, panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, egg, salt, and pepper, I find using my hands for this makes it easier.
- Form the meat mixture into 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls, I like to use a cookie scoop to help with this. Place them on the prepared sheet tray, not touching.
- Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- While the meatballs are baking, start on the soup. Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery.
- Stirring occasionally, cook the veggies until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the beef stock, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and cooked Italian meatballs to the pot. Stir everything together.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the pasta and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. You will need to stir frequently, making sure to scrape the bottom, so the pasta doesn’t stick.
- Take off the heat, discard the bay leaves, and add the parmesan cheese and torn basil, stir to combine, and serve immediately.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT KIND OF GROUND BEEF IS BEST TO USE?
For this particular recipe, we use lean ground beef. By using a leaner ground beef, the meatballs will not fall apart during the cooking process.
If you use 80/20 ground beef or one with an even higher fat content, you take the chance of the meatballs falling apart while they simmer in the soup.
Keep that in mind before purchasing the ingredients needed for this recipe.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THE MEATBALLS ARE DONE?
Since the meatballs are cooked twice, once in the oven and then finished in the soup broth, they will be fully cooked by the time the soup is ready.
If you want to make absolutely sure they are done, you can check the internal temperature of a meatball with a meat thermometer. If it registers 165°F or higher, they are ready.
DO I HAVE TO BAKE THE MEATBALLS FIRST?
No, you don’t have to bake them first. You can either pan fry them or add them in raw.
If you are them raw to the soup, you must make sure they are completely cooked through by using the method with a meat thermometer above.
We brown the meatballs in the oven first to get a char on them, adding a lot of flavor to this hearty meatball soup.
CAN I ADD ANYTHING?
Yes! Here are some suggestions:
- Red pepper flakes for a little kick
- Italian Sausage, I would brown it first
- Parmesan rind
- Cannellini beans
- Bell peppers
- Romano cheese
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
Here are my substitution suggestions:
- Use frozen meatballs in place of making them your own. You can add them directly to step 7 and continue on with the recipe. Just ensure the meatballs’ internal temperature reaches at least 165°F before adding the pasta. Cooking time may vary.
- Use orzo pasta or small shells in place of ditalini.
- Beef broth, chicken stock, or chicken broth can be used in place of beef stock.
- Use fresh parsley in place of basil.
HOW TO STORE:
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Best served and eaten hot.
To reheat, you can do so in the microwave or back on the stovetop until hot.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Place leftovers in the freezer in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place the dish in the fridge overnight.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- This makes a large batch, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Great for meal prepping.
- Use good quality ingredients. The better the quality of your ingredients, the better your soup will taste.
- Don’t overwork the meat mixture. Overworking the meat will make the meatballs tough.
- Browning the meatballs in the oven before adding them to the soup will give them a nice crust and flavor.
- Season the soup to taste. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings to your liking.
- Serve the soup hot with bread or crackers.
- If you’re not going to eat the whole recipe in one sitting, cook the noodles separately and add them to the serving bowls before eating.
Next time you are searching for a delicious soup to make, you must try this Italian Meatball Soup Recipe.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this MEATBALL SOUP RECIPE, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Italian Meatball Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup plain panko breadcrumbs
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 large egg well beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup small-diced sweet onion
- 1 cup small-diced carrot
- 1 cup small-diced celery
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups beef stock
- 14.5 ounce canned Italian style petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 & 1/2 cups uncooked ditalini pasta
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 10 fresh basil leaves roughly torn by hand
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, parmesan, panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, egg, salt, and pepper, I find using my hands for this makes it easier.
- Form the meat mixture into 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls, I like to use a cookie scoop to help with this. Place them on the prepared sheet tray, not touching.
- Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- While the meatballs are baking, start on the soup. Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery.
- Stirring occasionally, cook the veggies until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the beef stock, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and cooked Italian meatballs to the pot. Stir everything together.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the pasta and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. You will need to stir frequently, making sure to scrape the bottom, so the pasta doesn’t stick.
- Take off the heat, discard the bay leaves, and add the parmesan cheese and torn basil, stir to combine, and serve immediately.
Notes
- This makes a large batch, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Great for meal prepping.
- Use good quality ingredients. The better the quality of your ingredients, the better your soup will taste.
- Don’t overwork the meat mixture. Overworking the meat will make the meatballs tough.
- Browning the meatballs in the oven before adding them to the soup will give them a nice crust and flavor.
- Season the soup to taste. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings to your liking.
- Serve the soup hot with bread or crackers.
- If you’re not going to eat the whole recipe in one sitting, cook the noodles separately and add them to the serving bowls before eating.
Nutrition
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