Creamy Italian Meatball Soup Recipe

This creamy Italian meatball soup recipe comes together in one pot and is loaded with juicy meatballs and al dente pasta nestled in an herb-filled creamy tomato broth. It’s everything you love about Sunday night spaghetti dinner in a warm, comforting bowl of soup!

 

Easy Meatball Soup Recipe

• This creamy Italian meatball soup is just as hearty, comforting, and satisfying as you could ask from a 30-minute, one-pot soup recipe! It’s loaded with tender meatballs and al dente pasta swimming in a rich tomato broth with just the right amount of herby flavor.
• It’s one of those meals that the whole family will enjoy! Because it’s got a little something for everyone. Serve with crispy garlic bread and a simple salad for a complete meal that’s ready in just a half hour!

Ingredients for Italian Meatball Soup

Homemade Meatballs

I have two great recipes for homemade meatballs: air fryer meatballs and 30-minute baked Italian meatballs. Either one will work great for this recipe and both recipes can be made in a half hour and prepped ahead of time! You can also use a bag of frozen meatballs from the grocery store.

Yellow Onion

Yellow onion or white onion will work best for this recipe. 

Garlic

Freshly minced garlic will give you the best flavor. You can substitute with 3/4 of a teaspoon of garlic powder instead.

Italian Seasoning

Use Italian seasoning or a combination of dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, dried rosemary, and dried marjoram.

Tomato Paste

Tomato paste is my favorite way to get that “cooked all day” flavor in a 30-minute meal. You can omit it if you don’t have any on hand, but the soup will be much more flavorful with it. The best part is that you can buy a tube of tomato paste and keep it in the fridge where it will stay fresh for months.

Chicken Broth

I typically use chicken broth since it has a lighter flavor. But you can also use beef broth or vegetable broth.

Crushed Tomatoes

Crushed tomatoes are the delicious tomato base for this creamy broth. They add a bit of texture and a hearty tomato flavor. You can also use diced tomatoes if you don’t mind a chunkier texture.

Rotini Pasta

Rotini pasta is my favorite for this soup but you can also use fusilli, penne, rigatoni, cavatappi, elbow macaroni, or any other short cut of pasta.

Baby Spinach

The mild, slight sweetness of baby spinach complements all the other flavors perfectly, but you can use your favorite leafy green. Chopped kale is another great choice.

Heavy Cream

I never pass up an opportunity to add heavy cream to a soup! It’s the easiest way to take it up a notch without any extra work on your part. In this soup, the cream adds just a hint of creamy texture and a bit of rich flavor. You can totally skip it if you prefer a brothier soup, but I highly recommend trying it at least one time with the cream! You can also stir the heavy cream into individual servings after you’ve ladled it into bowls. Substitute with half and half although the broth will be thinner.

How to Make Meatball Soup

Make my Italian meatballs, air fryer meatballs, or use an 18-20 oz. bag of frozen meatballs that have been thawed overnight in the fridge or cooked according to package directions.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and cook for a minute.

Deglaze the pot with broth. Stir in remaining broth, crushed tomatoes, uncooked pasta, and cooked meatballs.

Simmer gently, covered, for 12-15 minutes.

Stir in spinach and heavy cream.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Why My Meatballs Are the Best

• They’re easy to make and filled with fresh flavors! While you can totally use storebought meatballs for this recipe, I highly recommend taking a little extra time to throw together my Italian meatball recipe or my air fryer meatballs. They truly are the best and take this soup to the next level.
• In my easy air fryer meatball recipe, I combine the breadcrumbs with milk and let them soak for a little bit. This is called a panade and it’s the best way to ensure that the meatballs hold together well and also stay super juicy!
• The other ingredients in my simple meatballs are everyday pantry staples that you’ve probably got on hand already or can easily find at the grocery store. While the ingredients are simple, the flavor combination is hearty, robust, and delicious!
• It’s worth the time and effort to make your own meatballs! I understand that some nights it’s just not in the cards to make meatballs from scratch but if you’ve got the time I recommend making a double batch and freezing half for another night. That way you’ve got homemade meatballs ready to go anytime.

Tips for Making the Best Meatball Soup

• Season this soup moderately! The ingredients in this soup are simple which means that Kosher salt and black pepper are going to go a long way in boosting the overall flavors of the dish. I recommend adding salt and pepper each time you add a new ingredient to the soup. This way each layer of flavor is seasoned. After it’s finished cooking, season to taste with salt and pepper!
• If you have a leftover Parmesan cheese rind, add it to the pot and let it simmer along with the other ingredients. It will add a delicious nutty depth of flavor to the soup.
• The soup will thicken as it sits. Keep that in mind as it’s cooking. If it’s getting too thick, add an extra splash or two of broth or cream.

Meatball Soup Variations

• Use half sausage and half ground beef for the meatballs to add a richer flavor to the overall dish.
• Stir in chopped kale instead of spinach.
• Add a bag of frozen mixed veggies along with the pasta to get some extra fiber.
• Add white beans or chickpeas for some extra protein.
• Add a can of fire-roasted tomatoes if you’re a tomato lover.

FAQs

How do you keep meatballs from falling apart in soup?

This typically comes down to how the meatballs themselves are made. Using egg yolk and milk-soaked bread crumbs will help hold the meatballs together no matter what is done to them. For soups, ensure the meatballs, once added, don’t get overcooked. If they sit in warm liquid for too long, they might become soggy and start falling apart.

How do I thin/thicken meatball soup?

Since this meatball soup recipe has pasta that cooks right in the broth, I never ran into it being too thin in all the recipe tests that I did. The starch from the pasta naturally thickens the broth and combined with the cream gives you a deliciously creamy soup. However, a cornstarch slurry is the fastest way to thicken a soup. To thin the soup, add more broth or heavy cream.

Is Italian meatball soup the same as Italian wedding soup?

Italian meatball soup and Italian wedding soup are actually very different. Italian meatball soup has a creamy tomato base, and al dente pasta, and doesn’t use quite as many veggies. While Italian wedding soup has a brothy base, more veggies, leafy greens, and acini de pepe (an extremely small, round pasta) with the meatballs.

Make Meatball Soup Ahead of Time

If you’re planning to make this meatball soup ahead of time, keep in mind that the pasta will continue to soak up moisture as it sits in the soup. If you’re only making it a day or so in advance, this won’t be too big a deal. However, if you want this soup to last all week, I recommend boiling the noodles separately in salted water and then adding them to the individual servings of soup as you reheat it throughout the week.

Storing Leftover Meatball Soup

Store leftover meatball soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezing Meatball Soup

If you’re planning to freeze this meatball soup I recommend leaving the pasta out. Frozen, thawed, and reheated pasta in soup will end up with an undesirable texture. However, the broth and meatballs will freeze beautifully! Freeze meatball soup (sans pasta) in an airtight container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating. Add cooked pasta to each bowl of soup just before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Reheating Italian Meatball Soup

Italian meatball soup can be reheated on the stovetop in a saucepan or large pot over medium heat. The soup will thicken as it cools so feel free to stir in a couple splashes of cream or broth while you’re reheating. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Not sure what to serve with meatball soup? Try these family favorites!

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