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This meatball soup is the perfect comfort food to warm you up on a chilly day. It’s packed with tender meatballs, veggies, and a savory broth.
Whether it’s a cozy weeknight dinner or a meal to impress family and friends, this soup delivers. With its perfectly seasoned meatballs simmered in a rich tomato broth, it’s a dish you’ll want to make repeatedly.
You will also love to try these soup recipes on winter days to feel cozy: Adasi Persian Lentil Soup, Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup), Saffron Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, and Turkish Yogurt Soup (Yayla Çorbasi).
Recipe Highlights
Cultural Influence: Italian
Primary Cooking Technique: Searing and simmering in one pot
Suitable for: Busy weeknights, family meals, and anyone craving a warm and satisfying soup
Dominant Flavor Profile: Delicious and rich, with tender meatballs, aromatic spices, and a robust tomato-based broth
Skill Level Required: Beginner-friendly
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This comforting and hearty one-pot soup holds tender meatballs, flavorful vegetables, and pasta. It is easy to prepare with simple steps and versatile to suit any preference.
Ingredients
For the Meatball
- Ground Beef: Use 85/15 ground beef for juicy, flavorful meatballs. Leaner ground beef can make the meatballs dry.
- Onion: Grate and squeeze out the excess liquid to ensure the meatballs hold together without being overly wet. The onion also adds a subtle sweetness.
- Egg: It acts as a binder, helping the meatballs maintain their shape during cooking.
- Spices: Season the meatballs with salt, paprika, and oregano. Add them according to taste and preference.
For the Soup
- Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for a fragrant base when sautéing the vegetables.
- Onion: Dice the onion finely to help it melt into the soup and enhance its flavor.
- Garlic: Grate garlic to release more juice, ensuring a robust garlic flavor throughout the soup.
- Carrot: Dice evenly to ensure consistent cooking and a touch of sweetness in every bite.
- Bell Pepper: Choose yellow or red bell pepper for a sweeter, milder flavor. If you prefer a sharper taste, use green bell pepper. Dice them evenly to ensure uniform cooking.
- Spices: To make the soup base, you need to add salt, oregano, and black pepper.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Opt for high-quality canned tomatoes for a richer base.
- Water: You can substitute part of the water with vegetable or beef stock for a more robust soup.
- Small Pasta: I use macaroni in this soup. You can use pastina or any small pasta type. Cook the pasta directly in the soup to absorb its flavor, but avoid overcooking.
- Parsley: Add chopped fresh parsley at the end to retain its fresh, vibrant flavor and color. Reserve some for garnish.
- Parmesan: Use freshly grated parmesan cheese and sprinkle more on top before serving.
How to Make Meatball Soup
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, grated onion, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, paprika, and oregano. Mix thoroughly using your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Grab a small amount of the mixture (about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons) and roll it between your palms to form a smooth ball. Repeat until you finish the mixture.
Place the shaped meatballs on a tray and let them rest for 5–10 minutes while you heat the pan or prepare the soup base. This helps them hold their shape during cooking.
Lightly sear the meatballs in the pot over medium-high heat to create a golden crust and lock in their juices. Don’t worry about cooking them through at this stage, they’ll finish cooking in the soup. Remove the browned meatballs from the pot and set them aside.
In the same pot, add a bit more olive oil and sauté onions until translucent. Then, add garlic and vegetables to release their flavors. Scrape the browned bits from the meatballs to enhance the depth of the soup.
Add salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika early to infuse the soup with bold, consistent flavors.
After that, add crushed tomatoes and water. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. This allows flavors to meld without overcooking the vegetables.
Then add pasta and the seared meatballs to the soup and simmer until pasta is completely cooked.
Stir in chopped parsley at the end for brightness and grate fresh parmesan directly into the soup.
Finally, ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately for the best flavor and texture. Top each bowl with parsley and a sprinkle of parmesan for a professional touch.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hearty meatball soup piping hot in deep bowls, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.
Pair with garlic toast, no knead bread, olive bread or ciabatta to soak up every last drop of the flavorful broth.
A winter salad like shaved brussels sprout salad goes well with this meatball soup as it balances the rich and bold Italian flavors.
Variations and Substitutes
Meat Substitutes: Use ground chicken or ground turkey for a lighter soup version. Just adjust the seasonings to complement the chosen meat.
Vegetable Substitutes: If you’re not a fan of bell peppers, then skip it. As for vegetables, you can add fresh basil, celery, spinach, or kale instead of parsley. You can also add sweet corn or zucchini for a richer soup base.
Broth Alternatives: Use beef broth instead of water for a richer base. You can also use vegetable broth.
Pasta Alternatives: Replace macaroni with smaller pasta shapes like pastina or orzo.
Spice Up the Flavor: Sprinkle red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a subtle heat.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Skip the Sear: Searing the meatballs in the pot enhances the taste of both the meatballs and the soup by creating caramelized bits at the bottom.
- Uniform Meatballs: Use a small cookie scoop to portion the meatballs equally. This guarantees that they cook at the same rate.
- Double the Batch: Make extra meatballs and freeze them for a quick and easy soup base next time.
- Adjust the Consistency: If you prefer a thicker soup, simmer uncovered for an additional few minutes. To make a thinner soup, add more water or broth as needed.
- Perfect Pasta: If you plan to have leftovers, cook the pasta separately in boiling, salted water. When reheating, mix it in fresh with each serving; this way it doesn’t turn mushy in the soup.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Allow the soup to cool completely, transfer it to an airtight container, and store it for 3-4 days.
Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the soup in portion-sized containers. Meatball soup freezes well for 3 months.
Note: Consider cooking the pasta separately and adding it fresh when reheating to maintain its texture.
Reheating Tips: Reheat meatball soup on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed. Add a splash of water or broth if the soup has thickened. You can also heat it in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every minute until evenly hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ensure the meat mixture is well combined and chilled before shaping. Avoid overmixing, as it can make the meatballs dense. Searing them before adding them to the soup will lock in the juices and keep the shape.
Absolutely! You can prep and sear the meatballs ahead of time, then refrigerate or freeze them. Add them to the soup when you’re ready to cook.
Yes, if using frozen meatballs, add them directly to the soup, cook for 10 minutes and then add the pasta.
Yes, you can use diced tomatoes. Blend them slightly if you prefer a smoother texture.
Yes, prepare the soup a day ahead to let the flavors meld together. Reheat and add freshly cooked pasta before serving.
Must-Try Soup Recipes
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Easy French Onion Soup Recipe
Mediterranean recipes
Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
Fall Recipe
Turkish Yogurt Soup (Yayla Çorbasi)
Soups and Stews
Healthy Potato Soup
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Hearty Italian Meatball Soup
Ingredients
Meatballs
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup small pasta like macaroni
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup parmesan, grated
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, grated onion, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, paprika, and oregano. Mix thoroughly using your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Pinch off a small amount of the mixture (about 1 to 1½ tablespoons) and roll it between your palms to form a smooth ball. Repeat until you finish the mixture.
- Place the shaped meatballs on a tray and let them rest for 5 minutes while you heat the pan or prepare the soup base.
- Lightly sear the meatballs in the pot over medium-high heat to create a golden crust and lock in their juices.
- In the same pot, add a bit more olive oil and sauté onions until translucent. Then, add garlic and vegetables to release their flavors.
- Add salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika early to infuse the soup with bold, consistent flavors.
- Add crushed tomatoes and water. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add pasta to the broth and the seared meatballs to the pot and cook until the pasta is completely cooked.
- Stir in chopped parsley at the end for brightness and grate fresh parmesan directly into the soup.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately for the best flavor and texture. Top each bowl with parsley and parmesan.
Video
Notes
-
- Don’t Skip the Sear: Searing the meatballs in the pot enhances the taste of both the meatballs and the soup by creating caramelized bits at the bottom.
-
- Uniform Meatballs: Use a small cookie scoop to equally portion the meatballs. This guarantees that they cook at the same rate.
-
- Double the Batch: Make extra meatballs and freeze them for a quick and easy soup base next time.
-
- Adjust the Consistency: If you prefer a thicker soup, simmer uncovered for an additional few minutes. To make a thinner soup, add more water or broth as needed.
-
- Perfect Pasta: If you plan to have leftovers, cook the pasta separately in boiling, salted water. When reheating, mix it in fresh with each serving; this way it doesn’t turn mushy in the soup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am going to try this one today!