Italian Meatball Soup

This Italian meatball soup is tender beef meatballs, vegetables and pasta, all simmered in a rich tomato broth. An easy dinner option that’s perfect for a busy weeknight!

Ingredients:
cooking spray

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground beef, I use 90% lean
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 egg
1/3 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste

For the soup:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
15 ounce can crushed tomatoes, do not drain
16 ounce can tomato sauce
6 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup dry short pasta, such as ditalini
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
parmesan cheese, for serving optional

Instructions:
Preheat the broiler to medium or high heat. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
For the meatballs:
Place all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Stir with a large spoon or use your hands to combine all the ingredients. You can add a few teaspoons of water if needed to make the process easier.
Shape the meat mixture into small balls (1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size). Place on the prepared baking sheet. Coat the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray.
Broil for 8-10 minutes until meatballs are lightly browned.
For the soup:
While the meatballs are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots.
Cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and pasta to the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
Top with parsley. Serve with parmesan cheese if desired.

Tips For The Perfect Soup:
– This soup makes great leftovers, but just be aware that the pasta will continue to soak up the broth as it sits in the fridge. You may need to add more broth when you go to reheat your soup.
– Meatball soup is hearty enough to stand alone as a complete meal, or you can serve it with a side of garlic knots.
– I use 90% lean ground beef. It has plenty of flavor but is not overly greasy. I like to make my meatballs on the smaller side (about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size), it’s easier to eat them in the soup that way.
– You can use any short pasta you like for this soup. I use ditalini, but other great choices are macaroni, rotini or orzo pasta.

Meatball Soup Variations: There are so many different ways to customize meatball soup – you can use different types of meat, add more vegetables or change up the seasonings.
– Sausage & Mushroom: Use 50% Italian sausage, 50% ground beef in the meatballs, and add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms when you stir in the pasta.
– Turkey & Spinach: Use ground turkey instead of beef, and swap out the beef broth for chicken broth. Add 2 cups of baby spinach leaves to the soup during the last few minutes of the cook time.
– Veggie Lovers: Add 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables during the last 5 minutes of the cook time.

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