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This meatball soup recipe is a tasty and simple way to enjoy homemade or store-bought meatballs. It has a delicious tomato broth and plenty of pasta!
Are you a big fan of cozy soups? You’ll also enjoy my Lasagna Soup and Italian Wedding Soup.
Why you’ll love it
Meatballs are arguably one of the best comfort foods out there, and adding them to soup is like a warm hug in a bowl! If you’ve already got them in your freezer, you can have this soup on your table in about 40 minutes. You’ve got options here to use homemade meatballs or store-bought ones.
This is one of those deeply rich, satisfying soups that tastes like it’s been cooking forever, but it’s actually really easy to throw together with a few pantry ingredients that are readily available year-round. If it’s a chilly day and you’re craving pasta and meatballs without all the effort, this is one soup that’s sure to be a hit.
What you’ll need
- Meatballs – homemade, store-bought, and frozen all work
- Olive oil, onion, garlic – our sautéed aromatics. Sweet (Vidalia) onions are my go-to, and you can use more or less garlic
- Tomatoes – I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
- Beef broth – to make the flavor of the broth deep and rich
- Red bell pepper – for an additional fresh crunch
- Italian seasoning – it’s a blend of herbs like rosemary and sage that comes in a single jar and is so flavorful
- Red pepper flakes – they’re optional but give a mellow warmth and don’t make this soup spicy
- Pasta – I used fusilli. Rotini works too.
- Fresh basil – I don’t recommend skipping it. It plays so well with the tomatoes in the broth!
Tips for success
- We recommend crushed tomatoes for the best texture, but a can of diced tomatoes (with juices) may be used to replace them if necessary.
- Some varieties of crushed tomatoes can be thicker than others. The ones I used are fairly watery, but add more broth if needed if the soup ends up a bit thick.
- You can use a different kind of pasta if you prefer, but be mindful that pastas have different volumes and you may end up with more or less if you use something other than fusilli/rotini.
How to make meatball soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Start by making the meatballs. Either make your own (I use my recipe for Italian Meatballs) or you can use store bought meatballs. Sauté the onion in a soup pot, then stir in the garlic, followed by the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, red bell pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and meatballs.
Bring it to a boil, then add the pasta. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Give it a stir every so often. Season with salt & pepper as needed, and stir in the fresh basil. Top with fresh parmesan if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- This soup is pretty flexible. Feel free to throw in additional herbs or vegetables depending on what you’ve got in your kitchen!
- Add in a handful or two of fresh spinach towards the end of cooking time as an easy way to get more greens.
- You can use frozen pre-cooked meatballs no problem. Just make sure they’re warmed through entirely (should be 165F in the middle).
What to serve with meatball soup
- Try some Garlic Bread or fresh sourdough/other crusty bread.
- A side salad would complement it well. Toss some mixed greens with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing or fix a Caesar salad with this easy Homemade Caesar Dressing!
- Want to make it extra special? Top it with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan.
Leftovers and storage
- This meatball soup will last 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container. You may need to add a splash more beef broth or water to leftovers when you’re reheating them in a saucepan over a low heat since pasta absorbs liquid.
- You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months, but keep in mind that soups with pasta don’t always freeze that well since the pasta becomes puffy, but it’ll still taste good.
- Alternatively, you could remove some of the soup you plan to freeze before you put in the pasta in while cooking. Simply make a fresh batch of pasta to add in when you’re ready to eat the frozen leftovers.
More easy meatball recipes
Questions about this Italian meatball soup? Let me know in the comments below, and be sure to leave me a star rating and review if you tried it! You can also find me on Instagram.
Italian Meatball Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound meatballs see note
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28 fluid ounce) can crushed tomatoes I used fire roasted
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped small
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1.5 cups fusilli pasta
- 1/4 cup fresh basil torn/chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese (for serving) optional, to taste
Instructions
- Prep time for this soup doesn't include making meatballs from scratch. If needed, make the meatballs (use my meatball recipe and you'll have about half of the batch left over for other meals) or use store-bought or your own recipe.
- Add the olive oil and onions to a soup pot over medium-high heat and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, red bell pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and meatballs. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
- Add the pasta once it's boiling.
- Reduce the heat and simmer it (covered, with the lid slightly open) for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Stir it a few times to ensure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot. Note: Some brands of crushed tomatoes are thicker than others. Add more beef broth if the soup has become too thick (this soup is meant to be quite brothy).
- Stir in the basil and season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve with parmesan grated over top if desired.
Notes
- Meatballs vary a lot in size and ingredients, so add as many as you think people will eat. I added 12 from my homemade recipe since they’re fairly large. Frozen (already cooked) meatballs will work fine. Just make sure they’re fully heated through before serving (165F in the middle).
- Served 4-6 depending on how many meatballs are added/how hungry people are, and what else it’s served with.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Very good soup. Easy to make. Made it just like the recipe.
I’m so glad to hear it, Barb!! 😀
My daughter made this while I was visiting them. The only thing she did different was substitute carrots for the pepper. It was delicious 😋 Her family and I loved it😋😋 I will definitely be making this at my home. I have shared the recipe with my two sisters and I raved about it. Thank you this great recipe.
I’m so glad it was a hit, Raylene! 😀 Thank you for sharing the recipe! XO
This recipe is really good.
I always chef a recipe, this one was good on its own, i did add grilled and cut up sweet sausag links and used frozen meatballs, my store has good frozen meatballs, but I also needed to save time. Pair this with some garlic bread sticks and you’re golden.
That’s a good soup, thank you for sharing!!!
You’re very welcome, Gordon!
Delicious
I didn’t have ground pork, so I used bulk breakfast sausage. The meatballs were super tender. I might make the meatballs more bite size, but that’s a personal choice.
Very rich, upscale restaurant quality!
I’m thrilled it was a hit!! Thank you, Cathy!
This looks fantastic! I am wondering if anyone has done a crockpot version?! I am prepping freezer meals and would love to try this! Thanks
Works great in the crockpot 😋😋
In the crockpot, just put everything in? Or cooking the noodles ahead of time and add? The only soups I’ve added noodles to in the crockpot are fresh in the last hour or precooked at the end… wondering if anyone tried uncooked and cooking them with the soup in the crockpot – less steps (I’m looking to double or triple it). Thanks!
Vanessa, add noodles 30 minutes before serving.
Should the fresh made meatballs be cooked prior to adding to doup?
It’s up to you – they can be cooked right in the soup if you’re making them specifically for the soup. Just make sure they’re properly cooked thru (165F in the middle). Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I haven’t tried the recipe but I just had to tell you how great this website it! The easiest one to work with I’ve found and the easiest to print from! Huge thanks for that!
So excited to try this recipe!
Aww thank you!! I’m so glad to hear it, Jody!
I made this last night for dinner. My teenage daughter found your recipe and ask if I would make it for dinner. I followed the recipe exactly except I didn’t add the onions and red bell pepper because my husband doesn’t like them. It was a huge hit for my family. We loved it. I will definitely be putting this in our dinner rotation.
So glad it was a hit!! 😀
I did make this today I was very good. I did use less garlic than suggested but garlic make my stomach hurt . I will make it again.
I’m so glad you liked it, Patsy!
Is there anything else you can substitute the beef broth with? The one my husband bought from the store has bits of potatoes and carrot in it and I’m not sure I want to use that
Hi! Chicken broth should work if you have some. Or water and a stock/bouillon cube or Better Than Bouillon if you happen to have some. Or you could just strain out the bits from the one he bought.
Could I use my homemade sauce instead if the tomatoes? My meatballs are all frozen in sauce. Just wondering how that might work, and what adjustments you’d recommend. Can’t wait to try this soup though!!
Hi Kate! I think that could work, but without actually seeing it in person, it’s really hard for me to guess on what adjustments you’d need to make. Like how much sauce/liquid is there? You could try adding some chicken or beef broth to it and maybe some tomato paste or a 14 oz can of tomato sauce if needed? It’s a fairly thick tomato broth in this soup. I think with a soup like this you’re probably quite flexible, though. So you could just keep adjusting until it looks and tastes right.
Just made this soup for the first time and I am so happy with how it turned out. I have to admit I did make a few adjustments. I sautéed all the veggies and added tomato paste, then cooked it down some before adding the rest of the ingredients. At the very end I added about a cup of heavy cream…mostly because I had to get rid of it and figured a creamy tomato base would taste nice. And it did!!
I always enjoy your recipes! I plan to make the Marry Me Chicken for tomorrow night’s dinner; it’s one of my faves.
Awww thank you!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I love the idea of making this one creamy. 🙂