This Italian meatball soup is tender beef meatballs, vegetables and pasta, all simmered in a rich tomato broth. An easy dinner option that’s perfect for a busy weeknight!
My family happens to love meatballs, especially the kids. I make sure to put meatballs on our dinner menu on a regular basis. I often do meatball bake or Greek meatballs with rice, but sometimes I like to mix things up a bit and serve this hearty meatball soup recipe.
Soup is always a great option when it’s cold outside, and I find myself making this meatball soup constantly during the winter months. It has similar flavors to the classic spaghetti and meatballs, but in soup form. Best of all, my kids adore it and happily eat the veggies in this soup!
Table of Contents
Meatball Soup Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need ground beef, garlic, Italian seasoning, parsley, egg, parmesan cheese, Italian breadcrumbs, salt, black pepper, olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth and pasta.
How Do You Make Meatball Soup?
Preheat the broiler and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place all the meatball ingredients in a bowl, and stir to combine. Roll the meat mixture into small balls, then place them on the baking sheet. Broil until the meatballs are golden brown. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook until the veggies are tender. Next, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer. Stir in the meatballs and the pasta, and cook until the pasta is done. Add some fresh parsley on top, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Soup
- I use 90% lean ground beef. It has plenty of flavor but is not overly greasy.
- You can use any short pasta you like for this soup. I use ditalini, but other great choices are macaroni, rotini or orzo pasta.
- This soup makes great leftovers, but just be aware that the pasta will continue to soak up the broth as it sits in the fridge. You may need to add more broth when you go to reheat your soup.
- Meatball soup is hearty enough to stand alone as a complete meal, or you can serve it with a side of garlic knots.
Quick Tip
I like to make my meatballs on the smaller side (about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size), it’s easier to eat them in the soup that way.
Recipe FAQs
Use pre-cooked meatballs to keep them from falling apart in soup. A meatball that is already baked or pan cooked has a firm crust on the outside, which means it will stay intact. Raw meatballs are much more likely to fall apart in hot broth.
I prefer to bake my meatballs. They come out perfectly tender and golden brown with the heat from the broiler, and it’s less messy than pan frying meatballs in oil.
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Meatball Soup Variations
There are so many different ways to customize meatball soup – you can use different types of meat, add more vegetables or change up the seasonings.
- Sausage & Mushroom: Use 50% Italian sausage, 50% ground beef in the meatballs, and add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms when you stir in the pasta.
- Turkey & Spinach: Use ground turkey instead of beef, and swap out the beef broth for chicken broth. Add 2 cups of baby spinach leaves to the soup during the last few minutes of the cook time.
- Veggie Lovers: Add 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables during the last 5 minutes of the cook time.
I serve this meatball soup with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for the perfect finish. Your family is sure to enjoy this soup as much as my family does!
More Great Soup Recipes
Mexican Chicken Soup
45 mins
Mexican Meatball Soup
45 mins
Stuffed Pepper Soup
40 mins
Cabbage Roll Soup
45 mins
Hamburger Soup
50 mins
Love This Recipe?
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Italian Meatball Soup
Ingredients
- cooking spray
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the soup
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes do not drain
- 16 ounce can tomato sauce
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup dry short pasta such as ditalini
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- parmesan cheese for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler to medium or high heat. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
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. You can add a few teaspoons of water if needed to make the process easier.
- Shape the meat mixture into small balls (1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size). Place on the prepared baking sheet. Coat the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray.
- Broil for 8-10 minutes until meatballs are lightly browned.
For the 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 4-5 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.
Notes
- I use 90% lean ground beef. It has plenty of flavor but is not overly greasy.
- You can use any short pasta you like for this soup. I use ditalini, but other great choices are macaroni, rotini or orzo pasta.
Thanks for sharing this! It gave me a great base to create my own version. Beautiful photos,too!
So yummy! Will definitely be making again. One mistake I always make is the amount of noodles. 3/4 cup didn’t seem like a lot to me, so I added quite a bit more. I always forget noodles suck the juice right up. So I recommend sticking with 3/4 cup!
I didn’t have the tomatoes, but I did put in a small container of tomato paste and it was perfect. I also went a little heavy on the italian seasoning.
What do I put the oven on to broil the meatballs?
I just have a broil button on my oven, which I select and it heats the top element to 500 degrees F.
I added dark red kidney beans to make it extra hearty. It was delicious!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, I appreciate you reporting back!
Do yourself a favor and make this a day before you plan to serve it. The first day it was good…the second day it was AMAZING!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
WHAT IS ITALIAN SEASONING? WHAT BRAND
Here is what I use: https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/herbs-and-spices/blends/perfect-pinch-italian-seasoning
My family loves meatball subs. Like that is an understatement! I bet that they would fall in love with this as well.
Can I use pre made frozen meatballs from the grocery store?
Absolutely, it’s a great way to save time!
Great .. I was wondering about the frozen meatballs too ..
Its a good soup just have to remove the meatballs. I am pescatarian so no meat.
This recipe instantly made me hungry! I’m giving this a try this week!
I like how you described this dish – “It has similar flavors to the classic spaghetti and meatballs, but in soup form.” I am adding this to our meal plan for next week. Sounds like a real winner to me.
I love Italian Meatball Soup! I always cook it during special occasions. I would like to try your recipe and see if it’s a better one with mine.
A delicious soup for this cold weather. I’ve always been terrible at meatballs though so, I may just throw in the hamburger without the balls, ha!
Ooo yum!! This looks delicious. I think it could be a huge hit with my family… I’ll have to try it soon.
This is an awesome soup! I love and appreciate all and any soup recipes. I look forward to making this one.
I’m SUCH a fan of meatballs and enjoy them just with some sauce and a chunk of bread! But your recipe for this soup looks so perfect for a cold day and for leftovers!
I love that you made your own homemade meatballs for this soup. This is one my husband would be thrilled to see on the table, so I’m printing it off now to make next week. Thanks!
This looks so perfect for the winter months. I love how hearty and warm this is. It looks like a great recipe!
I LOVE making meatball soup! It’s my two favorite things all rolled up into one. I can’t wait to try this recipe.