This Hearty Meatball Soup is made with Italian-style turkey meatballs, a rich tomato-based broth, veggies, and pasta. An easy one pot dinner!
The post Hearty Meatball Soup appeared first on Budget Bytes.
It’s no secret just how much I love a good meatball recipe, and this one is an oldie but a goodie. My Hearty Meatball Soup is packed with tender, Italian-style turkey meatballs simmered in a rich tomato-based broth and plenty of veggies and pasta to make it super filling and totally budget-friendly. It’s an easy one-pot dinner the whole fam will love! And like most of my recipes, this flavor-packed soup leans on pantry staples and freezer-friendly ingredients to keep things easy on the wallet.
“A friend of mine told me about your blog just recently, and I have been obsessed ever since! I made this soup for my husband’s birthday because he is a huge meatball fan, and I have already made it again a few days later! It was soooo good!! A new winter favorite, thanks so much!”
Ashley
Easy Meatball Soup Recipe
Today’s recipe is brought to you by the word mirepoix (aka the classic combo of diced onion, carrot, and celery). I start almost every soup this way, and once that trio is sizzling with a little garlic and olive oil, you’re already halfway to something delicious. That’s exactly how this simple meatball soup begins. I stir in some beef broth, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta, and a batch of my homemade turkey meatballs to create the easiest, most delicious alternative to your average meatballs and pasta dish.
But if tomato-based soups aren’t your thing, I’ve shared a few variations below to mellow the flavor or make a lighter broth that still pairs perfectly with the meatballs!
Budget-Saving Tips!
- I use my turkey meatballs in this recipe because they’re packed with seasonings, which infuse the broth with extra flavor as they simmer. My homemade meatballs (made with beef and Italian sausage) work great here, too, but if you’re short on time, store-bought meatballs will still get the job done. Go for frozen meatballs (they’re often the most cost-effective) and cook them following the package instructions before adding them to your soup.
- When I first posted this recipe allll the way back in 2011, I only used half a batch of my turkey meatballs and 6 oz. of pasta. Since then, I’ve retested it using a full batch of meatballs and 8 oz. of pasta—which I much prefer! It makes this hearty soup even heartier and provides a good amount of pasta and meatballs per serving. That said, you can absolutely scale back the meatballs and pasta if you’re looking to save a few more dollars or prefer a brothier bowl.
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Hearty Meatball Soup
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Ingredients
- 3 large carrots, diced $0.49
- 3 ribs of celery, diced $0.40
- 1 yellow onion, diced $0.70
- 4 cloves garlic, minced $0.16
- 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.22
- 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juices $1.63
- 1 28 oz. can tomato sauce $1.63
- 4 cups beef broth $0.52
- 8 oz. dry pasta* $0.59
- full batch turkey meatballs (approximately 16-18 meatballs) $5.97
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley $0.35
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese $3.69
Instructions
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Cook the diced carrots, celery, onion, and minced garlic in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until softened (5-10 minutes).
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Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water and beef bouillon to the pot. Bring it up to a simmer then add the pasta and meatballs. Allow the pot to simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through.
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While the pot is simmering, rinse and chop half a bunch of parsley. Add the parsley to the pot after the pasta has fully cooked.
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Serve each bowl of soup with freshly grated parmesan on top.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Hearty Meatball Soup Step-By-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Sauté the veggies: Add 3 large diced carrots, 2 ribs of diced celery, 1 diced yellow onion (your mirepoix), and 4 cloves of minced garlic to a large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Cook the mirepoix over medium heat until the onions have softened. It’s okay if the celery and carrots are still a little firm, they will continue to cook with the soup. I also like the added texture they give the soup if they’re not cooked down to mush.
Add the liquids: Add 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices), 1 28 oz. can tomato sauce, and 4 cups beef broth to the pot with your veggies.
Add the meatballs and pasta: Bring the soup up to a simmer then add 8 oz. dry pasta and the full batch of turkey meatballs (about 16-18 meatballs). The meatballs will infuse flavor into the pot as it simmers. Bring everything back up to a simmer and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked.
Finish: Add 2 Tbsp fresh parsley to the pot once the pasta is soft and cooked through. Mix to combine.
And then it’s pretty much done! Serve up your homemade meatball soup and sprinkle a little grated Parmesan over each bowl. I used ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese in total. Enjoy!
Variations to Try!
You can actually go three different ways with the broth for this homemade meatball soup:
- Make an ultra-thick, tomatoey, almost sauce-like base (as I’ve done here).
- Create a soup-like broth by skipping the tomato sauce and using only diced tomatoes. I’d add an extra 2 cups of broth, adding more if needed, to make up for the missing tomato sauce. (A 28 oz. can of tomato sauce works out at about 3.5 cups, but it’s also very thick, which is why I’d only start with 2 cups of extra broth at first).
- You can make a clear beef broth by skipping the canned tomatoes altogether and using extra beef broth (or bouillon and water). I do this in my Italian wedding soup recipe, except I use chicken broth instead. It’s up to you!
Next time I make this soup, I’m going to try skipping the tomato sauce so that I can have a tomato and beef broth…and maybe add some kale. Mmmmm, yes.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is already a full meal on its own, but if I want to stretch the servings further, I’d add some warm garlic bread for dipping and a simple Caesar salad on the side. It turns this hearty meatball soup into something that feels a little extra and complete!
Storage & Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just a heads up—the pasta will continue to soak up the broth and soften as it sits, so the texture may change a bit. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a little extra broth if needed. You could also freeze it for up to 3 months, but the pasta can get mushy after freezing and thawing. If that bothers you (but you still want to meal-prep this soup), you could leave the pasta out and cook it separately before serving. Add some pasta to each bowl and top with the reheated soup.
More Hearty Soup Recipes
Our Hearty Meatball Soup recipe was originally published 2/8/11. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 4/3/25.
The post Hearty Meatball Soup appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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