Italian Meatball Soup

Learn how to make Italian meatball soup that is ready to serve in less than an hour.  A hearty and flavorful soup packed with meatballs, vegetables, pasta, and a delicious Italian broth.  You have the option to use frozen meatballs to make this recipe super easy or you can make your own.  I have included a delicious meatball recipe.   Soup is a great way to eat meatballs and pasta without a lot of fuss.  Meatball soup makes a cozy and comforting meal.

Ingredients needed to make Italian Meatball Soup:

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb lean ground beef (you may also use Italian sausage or half Italian sausage and ground beef).  Frozen meatballs can be substituted for homemade.
• 1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp fresh parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp dried or fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• Cooking spray

Soup ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped small
• 1/2 large red pepper, chopped small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups beef broth (can substitute chicken broth)
• Parmesan rind, optional
• 4 tbsp fresh chopped basil leaves (may use 1 tsp dried basil)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup zucchini, chopped small
• 1 1/2 cups Ditalini pasta
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• Fresh grated parmesan cheese, optional for soup topping

How to make Italian Meatball Soup:

Meatballs:

• In a medium sized bowl add the ground beef, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Mix with a wooden spoon or with your hands to make meatball mixture.  If mixture appears to be dry you may add a few teaspoons of milk or water to moisten them.

• Shape the meat mixture into small balls (about 3/4″ to 1″ in diameter).

• Cook the meatballs in a large frying pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Turn the meatballs until they are brown on all sides.  If meatballs are sticking to the pan, spray the top of the meatballs before turning them.  Alternately you can place meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and broil them for 8-10 minutes or until they are browned.

Soup:

• In the meantime while meatballs are cooking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion and red pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until tender.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth and parmesan rind to the cooked vegetables and stir together.  Add the meatballs to the pot and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for about 10 minutes then add the zucchini, basil, Italian seasoning, and pasta and simmer another 5 minutes or until zucchini and pasta are tender.  If you will be storing the soup, cook your pasta separately so it doesn’t absorb the liquid from the soup and add the pasta to the soup in individual bowls.

• Just before serving add the spinach and let it cook until wilted.

• Salt and pepper to taste if needed.
• If using the parmesan rind remove it before serving.
• Serve with grated parmesan cheese if desired.

NOTES:

• You can substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef or use half beef and half Italian sausage.  Frozen meatballs could be substituted for homemade.
• Add other vegetables such as chopped carrots, kale in place of spinach, celery, etc.
• Other short pasta can be used in place of ditalini such as farfalle, penne, or macaroni.
• If you are going to store the soup cook the pasta separately and add to individual bowls of soup so the pasta doesn’t absorb all the soup broth.
• Store soup in refrigerator in covered container for up to 3 days.
• Soup can be frozen.  It you are freezing the soup, don’t add the pasta.  Cook the pasta and add to the soup after it is unthawed and reheated.

Other yummy soup recipes:

Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

Blended Creamy Vegetable Soup

Creamy Basil Tomato Soup

Autumn Hamburger Soup

Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Italian Meatball Soup

LeAnn

Learn how to make Italian meatball soup that is ready to serve in less than an hour.  A hearty and flavorful soup packed with meatballs, vegetables, pasta, and a delicious Italian broth.  

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Calories 296 kcal

Ingredients

  

Meatballs:

• 1 lb lean ground beef (you may also use Italian sausage or half Italian sausage and ground beef).  Frozen meatballs can be substituted for homemade.
• 1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs

• 3 tbsp fresh parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp dried or fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• Cooking spray

Soup:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped small
• 1/2 large red pepper, chopped smal
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups beef broth (can substitute chicken broth)
• Parmesan rind, optional
• 4 tbsp fresh chopped basil leaves (may use 1 tsp dried basil)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup zucchini, chopped small
• 1 1/2 cups Ditalini pasta
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• Fresh grated parmesan cheese, optional for soup topping

Instructions

 

Meatballs:

• In a medium sized bowl add the ground beef, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Mix with a wooden spoon or with your hands to make meatball mixture.  If mixture appears to be dry you may add a few teaspoons of milk or water to moisten them.
• Shape the meat mixture into small balls (about 3/4" to 1" in diameter).
• Cook the meatballs in large frying pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Turn until meatballs are brown on all sides.  If meatballs are sticking to the pan, spray the top of the meatballs before turning them.  Alternately you can place meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and broil them for 8-10 minutes or until they are browned.

Soup:

• In the meantime while meatballs are cooking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion and red pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until tender.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth and parmesan rind to the cooked vegetables and stir together.  Add the meatballs to the pot and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for about 10 minutes then add the zucchini, basil, Italian seasoning, and pasta and simmer another 5 minutes or until zucchini and pasta are tender.  If you will be storing the soup, cook your pasta separately so it doesn't absorb the liquid from the soup.  Add the pasta to the soup in individual bowls.
• Just before serving add the spinach and let it cook until wilted.
• Salt and pepper to taste if needed.
• If using the parmesan rind remove it before serving. Serve with grated parmesan cheese if desired.
• NOTES:

  *You can substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef or use half beef and half Italian sausage.  *Frozen meatballs could be substituted for homemade. *Add other vegetables such as chopped carrots, kale in place of spinach, celery, etc. *Other short pasta can be used in place of ditalini such as farfalle, penne, or macaroni. *If you are going to store the soup cook the pasta separately and add to individual bowls of soup so the pasta doesn't absorb all the soup broth. *Store soup in refrigerator in covered container for up to 3 days. *Soup can be frozen.  It you are freezing the soup, don't add the pasta.  Cook the pasta and add to the soup after it is unthawed and reheated.

Keyword Italian Meatball Soup, Meatball Soup, Hamburger Soup, Soup