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Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup

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This chicken meatball soup is a rich, creamy one-pot meal packed with tender homemade meatballs, ditalini pasta, and wilted kale. It comes together in less than an hour, and it’s one of my family’s most requested weeknight meals.

  • Author: Kylie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Chicken Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
  • 2 ounces finely grated Parmesan
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
  • 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for searing

Soup Base

  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup uncooked ditalini
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups finely chopped kale
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

  1. MIX MEATBALLS. Use your hands to mix ground chicken, breadcrumbs, ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, sage, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, just until combined. Use a cookie scoop to make uniform-sized meatballs. Then use oiled hands to gently roll and form them into meatballs.
  2. SEAR MEATBALLS. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook on all sides until a dark golden brown crust forms. You may need to cook the meatballs in batches, depending on the size of your pan. Add more oil as needed. Set aside to a plate.
  3. START THE SOUP. Don’t wipe out the pan and add more oil if needed. Reduce heat to medium and add onion along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. ADD AROMATICS + FLOUR. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently for another minute.
  5. DEGLAZE THE PAN. Slowly whisk in about 1/2 a cup of chicken stock and use it to clean the bottom of the pan, scraping off all the yummy brown bits.
  6. SIMMER THE PASTA. Stir in the remaining chicken stock and uncooked ditalini pasta along with a couple large pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 3-5 minutes or until the pasta is about a minute from being done. 
  7. FINISH THE SOUP. Stir in meatballs, heavy cream, kale, and balsamic vinegar along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Simmer gently until the meatballs are cooked through, the pasta is al dente, and the kale is wilted.
  8. GARNISH + SERVE. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
  9. LEAVE A REVIEW. If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!

Notes

  • Don’t overmix the meatballs. Ground chicken gets dense fast. Mix just until everything is combined and stop. You want light, tender meatballs, not little chicken pucks.

  • The sear is non-negotiable, and make sure it’s a good one. You want a deep golden brown crust on the outside. This does a lot of heavy lifting flavor-wise, and it also helps the meatballs hold together in the soup.

  • The pasta will keep absorbing liquid as the soup sits. If it’s just sitting overnight or for a couple of days, it will still be delicious, but if you’re planning to eat this a few days after making it, you may want to cook the pasta separately and add it before reheating so it’s not super mushy.

  • Don’t skip the balsamic. It’s just a teaspoon, and it’s doing a ton of work in the background, rounding out the richness of the cream. It gives the broth that little something you can’t quite put your finger on.

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/chicken-meatball-soup/