Meatball Soup
Published Jan 12, 2026
One-pot meatball soup with beef meatballs, fire-roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth, pasta, and kale. Italian-inspired! Simple ingredients cooked in one pot.
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Meatball soup is the ultimate comfort meal!
I feel like meatballs often get trapped into one use… spaghetti, and the thing is, you can really do so much more with them, like this meatball soup. It is seriously so good and might even beat out the traditional use for me. I make this meatball soup in one pot with simple pantry stuff like canned tomatoes, broth, pasta, and greens. The meatballs simmer right in the soup after browning, so they stay tender and actually make the broth taste better instead of feeling like a separate add-on.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Meatball Soup Ingredients
I like to make meatballs from scratch, but the thing is, that isn’t always doable, especially when you’re tired and just trying to throw everything in a pot. You can use frozen meatballs, either store-bought or meal-prepped meatballs, and skip making the meatballs from scratch. Just toss the frozen meatballs into the soup; no need to thaw and let them cook through with the soup!
For the Homemade Beef Meatballs
- Ground beef: I use lean ground beef so the meatballs don’t make the soup greasy. Look for 93/7 (93% lean and 7% fat)
- Binder: An egg and plain breadcrumbs hold the meatballs together without making them dense. Use a room temperature egg if you can, it mixes easier into the ground beef.
- Flavor add-ins: Grated Parmesan, finely grated onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Grating the onion keeps the meatballs moist without chunks.
- Cooking fat: Olive oil for browning the meatballs before they go into the soup.
For the Soup Base
- Aromatics: Onion, red bell pepper, and garlic form the base of the soup and cook in the same pot after the meatballs are browned.
- Liquids: Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and low-sodium vegetable broth make up the bulk of the soup. You can use chicken broth if that’s what you have and regular crushed tomatoes. I just prefer the flavor of fire-roasted.
- Seasoning: Salt, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. The heat is mild and easy to adjust.
- Pasta: Small pasta works best, so it cooks quickly and fits on a spoon with the meatballs. I use Ditalini here, but if you have shells or elbow noodles, that works fine!
- Greens: Chopped kale gets stirred in at the end and wilts right into the soup.
- For serving: Grated Parmesan on top, optional but recommended.
How to Make Meatball Soup
Meatball Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef 93/7 works best
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons onion finely grated
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup small pasta Ditalini is used here
- 2 cups kale chopped
- Parmesan grated, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined.
- With a meatballer or a medium spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop a rounded ball of the meat, about 1 ½ tablespoons, and form into meatballs. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture. You should get about 20 meatballs. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 5–7 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Remove the meatballs from the pot and set aside.
- Add the oil to the same pot. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, salt, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes. Return the browned meatballs to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the pasta and cook uncovered for 7–9 minutes until tender. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the chopped kale and cook until wilted.
- Serve hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Make stuffed meatballs: Stuff a cube of mozzarella inside each meatball before baking for a melty center.
- Simmer with a Parmesan rind: Add it to the pot while the soup simmers and remove it before serving. I like to freeze Parmesan rinds for this reason!
Recipe Tips
- Mix the meatballs with wet hands. It keeps them from sticking and makes sure the ingredients fully combine.
- Cook the pasta separately. I especially recommend this if you plan on having leftovers, because the pasta can get soggy in the fridge.
- Taste and season before serving. Since meatballs release fat and moisture when they cook, taste the soup before you serve it in case you need to adjust the flavor.
Serving Ideas
- Bread: Garlic Cheese Bread, Homemade Dinner Rolls, Homemade Croutons
- Salad: Fresh Garden Salad, Kale Caesar Salad, Roasted Cauliflower Salad
- Sides: Parmesan Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Green Beans, Garlic Roasted Potatoes
FAQs
Yes, frozen meatballs work for this recipe. Add them to the pot after you stir in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, salt, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook until heated through, about 10–20 minutes. Be sure to add the pasta after the meatballs heat through.
I don’t recommend it. Browning the meatballs first adds more flavor and helps them hold their shape in the broth.
Comments
Very easy and the whole family loved it. I used gnocchi for pasta.
Love that!! So happy it was a hit! Thanks, Christina!