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Meatball Soup

Meatball Soup

Delicious Meatball Soup featuring tender meatballs, fresh vegetables, and rich broth.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 13 cups
Calories 222 kcal

Equipment

  • Soup pot
  • blender

Ingredients
  

Oil

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Meatballs

  • 1 whole egg, beaten
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream can sub milk
  • 0.5 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon pepper
  • 0.5 lb ground beef, 80% lean
  • 0.5 lb ground pork

Soup

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 whole yellow onion, diced
  • 0.5 cup bell peppers, diced Red, green, or both
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1.5 cups beef broth can sub chicken broth
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained 14.5 oz. each
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce optional
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 cup dry pasta I used cavatappi

Seasonings

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • Salt/Pepper to taste

For Serving

  • 8 oz Ricotta Cheese
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions
 

For the Meatballs

  • Combine the whisked egg and heavy cream in a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and stir for 1-2 minutes to form a paste. This is called a “panade” and will make the meatballs super flavorful and tender. Add Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Add the ground beef and ground pork and gently combine, don’t overwork the meat, we want tender meatballs.
  • Roll the meat into 1-inch balls.
  • Heat the olive oil in a 4 ½ quart soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Brown the meatballs in batches for 2-3 minutes, add a splash of olive oil throughout cooking and decrease heat slightly as needed. The inside of the meatballs will finish cooking in the soup.
  • Remove the meatballs and set aside.

For the Soup

  • Place the diced tomatoes in a large bowl and use an immersion blender to blend it to your desired texture, chunks of tomato can be left if preferred. (Alternatively, you can also use a blender.) Set aside.
  • Melt the butter in the same soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
  • Add the peppers and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add in the chicken broth, beef broth, and tomatoes.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  • Stir the soup and bring it to a gentle boil. Add the meatballs and the pasta and return to a gentle boil.
  • Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream, then add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
  • Transfer to serving bowls and top with ricotta cheese, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes.

Notes

Consider boiling the noodles separately for leftovers. Use frozen meatballs if preferred. This makes approximately 45 1-inch meatballs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 741mgPotassium: 414mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1071IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 2mg
Keyword comfort food, Easy Recipes, hearty meals, Meatball Soup, soup recipes, weeknight dinner
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