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When we start to hit the fall months, our schedules heat up like crazy, and all I want for dinner is comfort food.
Between my husband’s coaching and my kids’ sports, having something tasty and warm that doesn’t take a ton of time to prepare is exactly what I need. While I often rely on my crock pot, some nights all I crave is a quick soup, which is where this Italian meatball soup comes in.
I love that it comes together in about a half hour, making it a perfect weeknight dinner. Couple that with being a one pot meal, and this is one of our favorite quick dinners during the fall and winter months.
It has a ton of flavor, but it isn’t spicy, so it’s plenty kid friendly. After all, who doesn’t like meatballs? Between the tomatoes and onion and carrots, there are plenty of veggies in this dish, too, making it a smart choice when trying to find a balance with your nutrition, too.
This makes plenty for dinner for four with leftovers for the next day, and the wee ones love taking it in their lunch the next day. I love dinners that stretch just a little bit, making them that much more economical, too.
The best part about this Italian meatball soup recipe is that I tend to have the majority of ingredients I need on hand, so I can pull it together without going out for tons of fancy ingredients.
Need more ideas for meals you can cook from your pantry? Try some of my favorite pantry meal recipes shared at the end of this article!
Can I use dried herbs to make this soup?
While you can make this with dried basil and parsley (use one-third the amount called for in the recipe if using dried herbs instead of fresh as they’re more concentrated when dried), I prefer to use fresh basil and parsley in this Italian meatball soup.
If you do use dried herbs, make sure they’re fresh. Dried herbs lose their potency after about six months or so.
How to Have Fresh Herbs Last Longer
Because you only need a bit of the basil and parsley, I make sure I store them properly so that they don’t go bad before I use up the rest of them. Storing herbs in your fridge is super simple.
Just snip off the ends like you would flowers and stick them in a small cup or jar of fresh water. Make sure none of the leaves are in the water, and use the produce bag over top when you put them in your fridge.
All you have to do is change the water every few days, and they last way longer without having to buy another kitchen gadget to save your herbs.
How to Make Italian Meatball Soup
Making this soup is pretty simple, too. I like to get all my ingredients out and prepped so that I can cook more quickly.
I start by chopping my onion, peeling and slicing my carrots (two whole carrots generally gives you a little more than a cup, which is what you’re looking for – go ahead and throw any extra in; unlike baking, this isn’t an exact science), and chopping my herbs.
Do you know how to quickly and easily chop herbs? Check out the video in this post for an easy technique.
Once I have everything laid out, I’m ready to start cooking.
Using a heavy pot, turn the heat to just below medium and let your pot warm up. By heating the pot before adding any oil, you let the pores open up, so the oil can enter them, which creates an almost non-stick surface.
Once your pan has warmed up, add the oil and let that heat up, as well. When your oil starts to shimmer in the pan, you know it’s ready.
Add the carrots and onion, and turn the heat down just a little bit. You want them to cook without burning while you form your meatballs.
In a separate bowl, add your ground beef, egg, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, parsley, and basil.
Using your hands, mix the ingredients until they’re mixed throughout the meat evenly.
Once that’s ready, form golf ball size meatballs. I like to roll my meatballs and place them back into the same bowl on the side so that I don’t dirty another container.
You should end up with about 20 meatballs once you’ve used all the mixture.
Once your meatballs are formed, check on your onion and carrots. The onions should be translucent without browning.
Add the chicken stock and the diced tomatoes to the pot, including the juice with the canned tomatoes. Personally, I love the flavor of the fire roasted tomatoes, but feel free to use your favorite.
Bring the mixture to a boil, turning the heat up slightly to help speed the process along. Once it is boiling, add the meatballs to your mixture, one by one to ensure they don’t splash.
If any are protruding from the broth, stir gently to ensure they are all beneath the surface. Turn the heat down to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes.
After ten minutes of simmering, add the pasta to your Italian meatball soup and stir to distribute. Let this cook for another seven minutes, then serve immediately.
Dinner done in just 30 minutes and oh so perfect for this chilly fall weather!
Have you ever tried something like this easy Italian meatball soup?
Other great pantry meal recipes:
- Tuna and tomato pasta
- Simple chicken salad
- Beef and rice casserole
- Cacio e pepe
- Mexican skillet quinoa
- Homemade marinara sauce
Italian Meatball Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup uncooked pasta
Instructions
- Using a heavy pot, turn the heat to just below medium and let your pot warm up, then add the oil and let that heat up, as well. When your oil starts to shimmer in the pan, add the carrots and onion, and turn the heat down just a little bit.2 tablespoons oil, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup onion
- In a separate bowl, add your ground beef, egg, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, parsley, and basil. Mix the ingredients by hand, until they're mixed throughout the meat evenly. Next, form golf ball size meatballs.1 pound ground beef, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, salt and pepper, 1/4 cup fresh basil
- Once your meatballs are formed, check on onion and carrots. The onions should be translucent without browning. Add the chicken stock and the diced tomatoes to the pot, including the juice with the canned tomatoes.4 cups chicken broth, 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- Bring the mixture to a boil, turning the heat up slightly to help speed the process along. Once it is boiling, add the meatball, one by one to ensure they don't splash. If any are protruding from the broth, stir gently to ensure they are all beneath the surface. Turn the heat down to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes.
- After ten minutes of simmering, add pasta and stir to distribute. Let this cook for another seven minutes, then serve immediately.1 cup uncooked pasta
- Top each bowl with fresh grated Parmesan and some fresh basil leaves to add a special presentation.
Notes
- While you can make this with dried basil and parsley (use one-third the amount called for in the recipe if using dried herbs instead of fresh as they’re more concentrated when dried), I prefer to use fresh basil and parsley in this Italian meatball soup.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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Do you cook the meatballs, before putting them in the pot?
Nope! (If I did – promise I would have said I did). It’s a pressure cooker, and it cooks the meatballs as you’re cooking the sauce.
Please email me the Italian meatball soup.
Thanks
Dianne Hogue
Somehow, I don’t think my computer would like it if I tried that 😉