Italian Meatball Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
The COZIEST soup with homemade, tender, juicy meatballs, little pasta noodles (ditalini pasta) and sneaked in greens!
Featured Comment
It’s freezing cold outside but I have everything I need right here with the coziest Italian meatball soup. It is basically a giant cozy hug in a bowl that just makes you feel so warm and fuzzy inside.
Made with completely homemade little meatballs (store-bought is completely fine if you’re in a pinch), ditalini pasta (my favorite little tube-like pasta), and sneaked-in greens (totally fine to swap out spinach for the kale or your favorite greens).
It’s an incredibly versatile recipe, and I sometimes make it ahead of time, stirring in the kale right before serving. I also always have a fresh baguette on standby for dipping purposes.
tips and tricks for success
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Save leftover Parmesan rinds. Get more out of those expensive Parmesan cheeses by using up the leftover rinds! Adding a Parmesan rind slightly thickens the broth and adds a level of nutty richness to the soup.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Kale, spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Use short cut pasta. Ditalini, macaroni or a small shape pasta is ideal.
- Store pasta separately for leftovers. When planning for leftovers, store the cooked ditalini pasta separately from the soup to prevent it from soaking up all the broth.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
what to serve with meatball soup
Italian Meatball Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! Ground pork or ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef.
Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store. While both panko and breadcrumbs can be used as a coating for fried foods, panko is much more flakier and yields a crunchier, crispier texture.
You can use either chicken broth or chicken stock but always season, to taste, as store-bought broth is often saltier than store-bought stock. Broth is made from meat and vegetables while stock is often lower sodium and thicker than broth, and is made from bones and vegetables.
Spinach, cabbage, swiss chard and collard greens are all great subs.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the pasta (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked pasta when serving.
Italian Meatball Soup
Ingredients
for the meatballs
- ¾ pound lean ground beef
- ¾ pound Italian sausage, casing removed
- ½ onion, grated
- ⅓ cup Panko
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (3-inch) Parmesan rind
- ¾ cups ditalini pasta
- ½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
for the meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, Panko, milk, egg, Parmesan, parsley, garlic and basil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 3/4-inch meatballs, about 1 tablespoon per meatball, forming about 45 meatballs.
- Place meatballs in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes; set aside.
for the soup
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in garlic, onion and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock, tomato sauce and Parmesan rind, if using. Stir in meatballs. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in kale until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
My family loved this soup. So delicious and simple! Loved it on a cold, winters night. Highly recommend!!
I used a pound of each meat, subbed spinach for the kale, and doubled the soup portion. This soup was so delicious and my family asked for me to make it again on a cold day. Another win for Damn Delicious at my table.
Absolutely delicious! Perfect for a cold winter night. Hearty and full of amazing flavor. Made the meatballs in the morning before work, finished the rest for dinner and enjoyed tremendously. Will be making again.
Great, hearty soup!!
Amazing and delicious soup. Super easy. I didn’t have kale, so I added what I had on hand, which was carrots. It was delicious. I accompanied with toasted artisan sourdough bread.
I’ve been a huge fan of your recipes for years now. I feel like every single dish of yours that I’ve tried has been added to our monthly cooking rotation. This recipe is no different. Completely spot on. Wonderful flavors. Easy to make. Just. Gorgeous! Will definitely be cooking again.
Thank you Chungah!
Oh wow, is this soup delicious.! Just made a batch using frozen, prepared meatballs and spinach instead of kale, but still mouthwatering. Can hardly wait until lunch tomorrow for leftovers. All your recipes are divine.
Boy oh boy, is this good!! As is every recipe I’ve tried on your website! Because I like creamy soups, I added about 1/4 cup heavy cream at the end. Super fantastico! Thanks for another great recipe!
Really a very delicious recipe. On this day I was pinched for time and so I cut up prepared meatballs – it was still wonderful. Easy and worth it. Great flavor – almost like stew once the pasta goes in. Highly recommend.
Just sent the husband to the store to get everything for this soup! So exciting! 5 Star ⭐️ because everything you create is bomb!!