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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Mary Strahan
Made this in the crockpot and it was delicious! I did not have the fire roasted tomatoes so used regular diced and worked great. Served it on top of Italian bead.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Mary! So glad that you enjoyed it!
Chandra
Just made this and it is delicious. I used frozen corn and green beans. I added broccoli and Lipton onion soup mix. I used both homestyle and Italian meatballs. This will become one of my go to soups
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Chandra! So glad that you like it and thanks for the tips!
Clario
What an easy and great soup! I did start by browning the meatballs so I would have the drippings to cook the vegetables for extra flavor. When adding the tomato sauce and fire roasted tomatoes I added a half a cup of red wine to deepen the flavor. Loved it that when I added the pasta the soup thickened to perfection. Thanks for sharing. I know this will be a favorite.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Clario! I am so happy that you liked it! Thanks for the great tips!
Kellie
What a great cool night meal. I doubled the recipe to feed my large family and we all loved it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Kellie! So glad that everyone liked it!
Cassandra
Can this soup go in the crockpot and cook on low all day??
Beth Pierce
Yes, but you will need to do you will have to do the first step in the skillet and the pasta can not be in there all day. About 30 minutes before serving turn the slow cooker to high and add the pasta.
Christian Foremost
Ive been cooking for myself for some time now and this is something that I’d definitely like to try! Looks absolutely delish!
May
Oh my! That meatball soup is making my mouth water. I was looking at the ingredients including the spices and I can almost taste it while I go through them — the celery, the basil…yummy! I will definitely try this, the fam will love it.
Rose Ann Sales
This is one of my favorite soup recipes and so darn easy to prepare. I think I make it every other week.
Fransic verso
Wow this look so good. I’ve tried meatballs before but never tried this one before. Thank you for sharing!
briannemanzb
Such a great meatball soup! The whole family really enjoyed it! We will make this again.
Cinny
That does sound pretty delicious! I’ll have to try this next weekend.
Sienna
I absolutely love a hearty (and easy) soup like this for fall. Something that warms you up on the inside, is easy to make/clean up and thanks to the meatballs and pasta is super filling!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sienna! So glad that you enjoyed it!
Krysta Browning
Woke up to the sound of rain and decided to make this soup. I had a leftover ham hock so I used that broth instead of what your recipe called for and that was the only adjustment I made. It was so good and filling. Made some cheddar biscuits. Yum
Beth Pierce
Sounds like my kind of meal. I am happy that you liked it!
Tina
This recipe is AWESOME!! I use snow peas instead of greenbeans. It’s sooo good!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tina! So glad that you like it!!
Erin
I made this almost exactly like the recipe. My intention was to not stray. I used turkey meatballs. Once I started adding salt to taste I added too much so I added 2 more cups of beef broth. And I used up the leftover cup of rice I had left in the fridge instead of the pasta. Amazing!!! Thank you for the recipe. It’s sure to go into my book of saved recipes!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Erin. So glad that you liked it. I bet it is delicious with rice.
Melynda Traube
I sautéed the veggies and added the spices and then put it in the crockpot along with the tomato sauce, fire roasted tomatoes and my beef broth. I used the better then bouillon roasted beef base and then my frozen meatballs. Cooking on low for about 4 1/2 hours then I will add the pasta. The broth tastes amazing and my kitchen is smelling delicious . Thanks for the great recipe.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine and thanks for the great tips for the crockpot. My readers and I appreciate it.
Keri
Absolutely delicious! Super easy and quick. Definitely will be making this again! Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Keri! So glad that you like it. The pleasure is all mine!