This meatball soup is hearty, healthy, delicious, and easy to make. The perfect recipe for some comfort food on a cold winter night.
If you like soups that are full of veggies and protein. You’ll love these soups too: Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe, Chicken Noodle Soup, Ground Beef Butternut Squash Kale Soup, Cabbage and Sausage Stew, and Ground Turkey Soup with Veggie Roots.
This Healthy Meatball Vegetable Soup is the best soup to warm up you and your family during the wintertime.
It is full of good stuff like lots of veggies, good quality protein from the extra-lean ground beef, and an organic low-sodium chicken broth. Also, this soup is super easy to make and very satisfying.
Pasta dishes may be the go-to comfort food, but homemade soups are a close second. All the flavors of fresh ingredients come together for a tasty bowl that warms you right up.
Adding meatballs makes this meal extra filling. Plus, it is a great source of protein. Believe me! For sure, this is the meal to help you stop your Italian food cravings without eating lots of carbs and heavy sauces. I absolutely love meatballs. I make them so often, like in my Low-Carb Turkey Meatballs with Mashed Cauliflower, Baked Meatballs Casserole (Web Story), and Spicy Turkey Meatballs with Veggies. They can also work as an appetizer, like my Easy Cocktail Meatballs Recipe.
This recipe has easy-to-follow steps. As a result, you will learn how to make meatballs for soup that are juicy and delicious
Even better, the whole dish will come together in under an hour!
Ingredient notes
- Gluten-free: For gluten allergies and sensitivities, you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour in place of the whole wheat breadcrumbs.
- Lean meat: It’s important to use ground beef with a low fat content. The organic and grass-fed meat from Butcher Box is perfect for this.
- Whole30: Using sugar-free tomato sauce makes this meatball soup Whole30-friendly.
How to make meatball soup
Start by chopping your fresh vegetables, then measure out the spices so they are ready to use.
How to make meatballs for soup
A few tips on making perfect meatballs:
- When you make any type of meatball, it’s important not to overmix the ingredients.
- Also, try not to handle them too much when forming them. The more you touch them, the more likely they are to dry out in the oven.
- For tender and juicy meatballs, mix everything until just combined. Then shape them, but use a light hand and avoid packing them too tightly.
- Coat your hands with a little oil. It will prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands, which makes being gentle with them a little easier.
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix with your hands until just combined.
- Gently roll the mixture into meatballs about the size of golf balls.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and parchment paper, then place a cooking rack on top.
- Space the meatballs out on the rack and bake. Remove from the oven and set aside.
For the soup:
While the meatballs are baking, you can prepare the soup. The full instructions are in the recipe card below. A couple of notes:
- About halfway through the simmering, remove the bay leaves and then stir in the cooked meatballs.
- When it’s ready to serve, spoon the meatball soup into bowls and then garnish with fresh parsley.
Troubleshooting Q&A
Should the ground beef be cold or room temperature?
It’s best to use cold ground beef straight out of the refrigerator. This makes it easier for the meatballs to hold their shape and retain the fat in an already lean blend.
Can I use a different meat for the meatballs?
You can experiment with different ground meats or even make combinations with two or three. Some options are turkey, pork, lamb, and veal.
Be sure to choose something with a low fat content, and understand that using different meats will alter the flavor of the meatballs.
Can I freeze this meatball soup?
Yes, you can store this soup in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely before pouring into freezer-safe containers or bags. Leave room for the soup to expand as it freezes.
It may be best to store in individual portions so you can use only what you need. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
I have one tip I would like to give to you is if you need to make this recipe very quickly, right after getting home from work. I suggest you make the meatballs beforehand and freeze them.
This way, your Healthy Meatball Vegetable Soup will be ready in less than 30 minutes. All you have to do is throw the meatballs in the soup while it’s cooking. Enjoy!
Healthy Meatballs Soup
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef I really recommend the organic and grass-fed meat from ButcherBox.
- 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs (or you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese optional
- 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup red onion chopped
- 1 tsp powder garlic
- 1 tsp powder onion
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
For the Soup
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup celery diced
- 3/4 cup carrots diced
- 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes diced
- 2 cups potato diced
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce sugar-free for Whole30
- 6 cups organic reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika optional
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and on top of it with parchment paper. Then, place a cooling rack on top of the preparing baking sheet. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, red onion, powder garlic, powder onion, dried basil, salt and black pepper.
- Use your hands to mix everything together and roll the mixture into meatballs.
- Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
For the Soup:
- In a large pot heat olive oil over high heat.
- When the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, and saute for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, potatoes, tomato sauce, broth, garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil and simmer partially-covered for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and drop the meatballs.
- Cook for more 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and parmesan (optional).
Notes
- Make sure not to overpack the meatballs so they do not become dense.
- You can use a cookie scoop so the meatballs are uniform.
- Use low sodium broth when possible, so you can control the amount of salt added to the soup.
- To store: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: Reheat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot.
- To freeze: Freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Make sure you leave space when freezing as liquid expands as it freezes. You can freeze the meatballs and soup separately or together.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
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Just a quick note, if you’re planning on freezing the soup don’t add the potatoes. They don’t freeze well. If I’m planning to freeze soup, I usually serve it over mashed potatoes before and after freezing. Love your recipes, Olivia!
Made it divine recipe tastes delicious!
Happy you liked it!