This simple and delicious meatball soup recipe is perfect for a quick and easy dinner. With hearty meatballs, flavorful broth, and vegetables, it’s sure to be a hit with the whole family. It is lightly seasoned with Italian spices in a tasty, beefy, rich tomato broth.
This delectable tender meatball soup combines onions, carrots, celery, and green beans with Italian seasonings in a rich tomato beef broth with homemade meatballs and mini Farfalle Pasta. This soup is a complete meal, but sometimes I like to serve it with a garden salad and cheese garlic bread.
Get ready for a hearty and flavorful meal with this quick and easy meatball soup recipe. Packed with protein and veggies, it’s the perfect dish for a busy weeknight dinner. If your family is anything like mine, comforting soup recipes are a must.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Ground beef: with a bit of fat in it for flavor
- Vegetables: onions, garlic, carrots, celery, green beans, and fire-roasted canned tomatoes
- Breadcrumbs: Italian, unseasoned, or homemade
- Egg: to help bind the meatballs
- Seasonings: salt, black pepper, fresh parsley for garnish, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and onion powder
- Olive oil: substitute vegetable oil or canola oil
- Beef broth: low sodium or beef stock
- Tomato sauce: canned or homemade
- Small pasta: Any small pasta or noodles will work, like Mini Farfalle, ditalini, acini de pepe, or orzo.
How to make Meatball Soup
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Make the meatball mixture and roll it into meatballs. Brown them in a skillet or bake them in the oven. Saute the onions, carrots, celery, and green beans until the onions and celery are soft. Add the spices and cook for another minute or so.
Add the beef broth, tomato sauce, and fire-roasted tomatoes, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the pasta and cooked meatballs and simmer until the pasta is tender.
Recipe Tips
- Canned, fire-roasted tomatoes are charred over an open flame before being diced and canned. You can find them at your local grocery store, along with other canned tomatoes.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese to each soup bowl for added flavor.
Storage, Reheat and Freezing
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be reheated on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
To freeze, first cool to room temperature. Then spoon into freezer zipper bags, removing as much air as possible. Remember that liquid expands as it freezes, so do not fill the bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or microwave at reduced power.
For best results, if you freeze or store any of this soup for later consumption, remove the portion you will save before adding the pasta. Hold back a proportionate amount of pasta and add it when you reheat the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Substitute ground chicken, pork, or turkey for the ground beef. They all make delicious meatballs. Substitute chicken broth if you are using ground chicken or ground turkey.
I prefer fresh veggies, but frozen veggies can also be used. Just add them to the simmering soup.
Save time with frozen premade meatballs, or make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze them. There is no need to thaw them. Just drop them in the simmering broth frozen.
Meatball Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- ¼ cup finely minced yellow onions
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup Italian or plain breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Meatball Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 1 ½ cups green beans trimmed and cut in one inch segments
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 6 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 can 8 ounce tomato sauce
- 1 can 14.5 ounce fire roasted tomatoes
- ¾ cup Mini Farfalle pasta ditalini, acini de pepe or orzo
- fresh parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Gently mix the ground beef, minced yellow onion, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire Sauce, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop for equal proportioning, roll the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet and brown them. Work in batches and do not crowd the pan. Add more oil if needed. Remove the meatballs to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- In a large, heavy stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and green beans. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until slightly soft and fragrant. Add the parsley, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the beef broth, tomato sauce, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Let everything simmer for about 7-10 minutes. Stir in the pasta and browned meatballs, simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Serve it promptly, so the pasta does not overcook.
Notes
- Substitute ground chicken, ground pork, or ground turkey for the ground beef.
- I prefer fresh veggies, but frozen can be used as well
- In a pinch, you can use frozen meatballs.
- Substitute chicken broth if you using ground turkey.
- Canned fire-roasted tomatoes are tomatoes that are charred over an open flame before they are diced and canned. They can be found at your local grocery store with other canned tomatoes.
- Any small pasta or noodles will work, like Mini Farfalle, ditalini, acini de pepe, or orzo.
- For added flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese to each soup bowl.
Nutrition
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Julie Blanner
Love this! Such an easy recipe and was so filling. I know this is going to become a regular!
Lee
This looks really good — can you tell me how much is 1 serving? Is it 1 cup or 1.5 cups? I appreciate it (I’m attempting to determine the counts for 21 day fix)
Beth Pierce
It is closer to 2 1/4 cups per person give or take a little bit.
Amanda
This is a family favorite! Even my picky eater loves it!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
This Meatball Soup looks incredibly delicious!
Toni
This is so good! Such a comforting meal for my family!
Haley D Williams
What a great soup! I want a big bowl for dinner tonight! You used my favorite pasta!
Cathy
Such a heart soup… I love it!
Dorothy Reinhold
This hearty soup is sure to be a huge hit with my crew. This looks delicious!
Sara Welch
Love soup season for recipes just like this one! Served this for dinner last night and it has easily become a new family favorite recipe! Looking forward to leftovers for dinner again tonight!
Linda
I made this last night since I was snowed in. We really enjoyed this. Will keep the recipe & make it many more times. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome Linda! So glad that you liked it I love a good hot pot of soup in the winter especially when snow is predicted.
Sheri l Greco
No recipe for the meatballs : (
Beth Pierce
Sorry I do have other meatball recipes I just have not had the time to write up a separate meatball recipe for the blog in general. French Onion Meatballs
Carol Barnes Smith
Just use 1 or 2 ibs. ground beef and mix with garlic pepper ( I use a lot because I like it) then shape in small bite-sized balls. I brown mine before I put in the soup mixture,
Toni
My family is NUTS for this recipe! Perfect for our snowy weather right now.
Catalina
Meatball soup is a favorite in our house! I should try it!
Allyson Zea
Looks like the perfect winter dinner! I can’t wait to try it!
Sara Welch
Such a hearty and flavorful recipe! Perfect way to warm up on a cold day; delicious!
Erin
This family friendly tasty Meatball Soup looks so good!