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This meatball soup is hearty and full of fantastic flavor. It only takes about 30 minutes to cook up and can be made with homemade or frozen meatballs! It’s a MUST TRY recipe for sure!

I love a good, hearty soup! Try out this delicious chili, yummy tomato basil soup, and this loaded baked potato soup. They are all perfect for family meals and everyone will love them.

Meatball soup in a white bowl.

What is Meatball Soup?

I love meatball soup not only because it tastes so good but because it’s so filling and has everything in it! It has your protein, veggies, and pasta that are all made in a tomato-based sauce. And do you know what it means when you make everything together in one pot? That you don’t have to cook extra sides! You can be done with one recipe with it being cooked all together. I mean, I’m sure that no one will object to a roll or some extra veggies if you decide to make some extra anyway!

This soup has the best seasoning mixture. The meatballs really soak it in and then you add in the orzo and vegetables and then when you eat them all together well… Let’s just say that you will only stop eating this because you will be too full to eat any more! My kids even love this soup and when I can get kids to eat a recipe then it’s a winner in my book!

Ingredients in Meatball Soup

Don’t let the length of this ingredients list scare you! They are all common ingredients. In fact, you probably already have most of these ingredients in your kitchen! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

  • Olive oil: This is used to cook the vegetables in.
  • Onion: Mince up your onion into small pieces.
  • Carrots: When slicing your carrots then make sure to cut them up into pieces that are similar in size. That way they will cook evenly.
  • Zucchini: I didn’t peel my zucchini for this recipe! I just cut it up into small pieces.
  • Garlic: The minced garlic brings a great taste to this soup!
  • Diced Italian tomatoes (undrained): Diced tomatoes come in different flavored sauces so make sure to double check that when you are buying yours.
  • Beef broth: This will be the base of the soup and bring in a lot of flavor.
  • Italian seasoning: You can use what you have or make your own using this Italian seasoning recipe.
  • Onion powder: Onion powder brings a subtle flavor to the soup.
  • Salt: Use as much or little salt as you feel the meatball soup needs.
  • Meatballs: You can use fully cooked frozen or homemade meatballs.
  • Dry orzo: I like using orzo because of it’s size and texture but you could use any dry small pasta.
  • Marinara sauce: Use homemade or storebougth marinara sauce. If you don’t have any then you can use canned tomato sauce instead.
  • Fresh parsley and fresh parmesan cheese: You will use these to garnish the top of the soup.

Let’s Make Some Soup!

Because this meatball soup uses pre-cooked meatballs, it is super fast to make! Within 30 minutes, you will have delicious meatball soup on your table and ready to eat!

  1. Heat oil: In a large pot, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat.
  2. Add in vegetables: Add onion, carrots, and zucchini. Then, cook for 5 minutes or until slightly soft. 
  3. Mix in garlic: Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Stir: Pour in the tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and salt. Then stir until combined.
  5. Add in meatballs: Add in the meatballs, pasta, and marinara sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes until the meatballs are warmed through and the pasta is soft.
  6. Garnish and serve: Serve with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.
3 pictures showing how to add ingredients to meatball soup.

Recipe Tips

This soup is perfect for a cold winter day and it’s so amazing that the entire family will enjoy it! Here are a few tips that will help this soup turn out perfectly.

  • Meatballs: You can use fresh or frozen meatballs. Just make sure that they are pre-cooked!
  • Vegetables: I like to use fresh vegetables in this but you can use frozen if that’s all that you have on hand.
  • Pasta: Orzo pasta is what I use most often but you can use penne, bowtie or any other pasta that you like!
Meatball soup being dished out with a wooden spoon.

How to Store Leftovers

This meatball soup makes great leftovers! Store it in your fridge in an airtight container. It will last 3-4 days. To reheat it you can just warm it up in your microwave for 1-2 minutes or until it’s heated through!

A pot of meatball soup.

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Delicious Meatball Soup

5 from 1 vote
By: Alyssa Rivers
This meatball soup is hearty and full of amazing flavor. It only takes about 30 minutes to cook up and can be made with homemade or frozen meatballs! It's a MUST TRY recipe for sure!ย 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 bowls

Ingredients 

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • 2 large carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup zucchini, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 (15 ounce can) diced Italian tomatoes (undrained)
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • 1 Tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt to taste
  • 1 1/2 pounds meatballs, frozen or homemade (fully cooked)
  • 1 cup dry orzo, or dry small pasta of choice
  • 1 cup marinara sauce or canned tomato sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
  • Add onion, carrots, and zucchini. Cook for 5 minutes or until slightly soft.
  • Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  • Pour in the tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and salt. Stir until combined.
  • Add in the meatballs, pasta, and marinara sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes until the meatballs are warmed through, and the pasta is soft.
  • Serve with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 460kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 26gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 1580mgPotassium: 817mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4420IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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3 Comments

  1. This soup is very tasty. I am trying to count my caloriesโ€ฆyou say there are 460 calories but you donโ€™t say how big the serving is. โ€œBowlโ€ can be one cup, two cups, or even three cups!