Easy 30-Minute Pizza Soup
User Reviews
5
Easy 30-Minute Pizza Soup
Description
This soup starts with olive oil sautéed onions and bell peppers that soften and develop sweetness, combined with garlic for aromatic depth. Beef broth, marinara sauce, and tomato paste form the base, seasoned with Italian herbs and a small amount of sugar to offset tomato acidity. Pre-cooked meatballs and pepperoni add protein and that classic pizza character.
Simmered briefly, the soup blends the ingredients without requiring long cooking since the components are mostly pre-cooked. It finishes with garnishes including shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, fresh parsley, and optionally red pepper flakes for heat. The soup provides a filling warm dish with bold tomato and savory meat flavors.
It's served with toasted garlic bread or croutons to offer a crunchy contrast. The recipe notes adaptations for slow cooker preparation and tips on using frozen meatballs, making it accessible and convenient.
Adjust seasoning carefully, adding salt, pepper, or sugar as needed to suit your taste since the tomato and broth acidity can vary.
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 pieces garlic toast or 18 large croutons or as desired, for garnishing; divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced small, small, white or yellow
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced small, or red bell pepper
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 32 ounces beef broth reduced sodium
- 32 ounces marinara sauce two 16-ounce jars
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning or to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar or to taste*
- 26 ounces meatballs easiest to use a bag of frozen meatballs that are thawed before using, cooked
- 6 ounces pepperoni halved or quartered (or use mini pepperoni, slices
- salt optional and to taste
- black pepper optional and to taste
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese for garnishing; divided, shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese for garnishing; divided, grated
- 2 tablespoon parsley optional for garnishing; divided, fresh
- red pepper flakes optional for garnishing
Instructions
- If you're going to bake garlic toast, garlic bread, French bread, or similar do it now according to package directions which likely means preheating your oven to 350F and cube the garlic toast now into 1 1/2-inch cubes (or do it after baking if desired), and bake for 5 minutes, flip, and bake for 5 more minutes. Get started on the rest of the recipe while it toasts. If you're using croutons, no need to bake or toast anything and just start the rest of the recipe.
- To a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add the olive oil, onions, bell peppers, and cook over medium-high heat to saute for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until vegetables are softening; stir frequently.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir continuously.
- Add the beef broth, marinara sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar*, and stir to combine.
- Add the meatballs**, pepperoni, and simmer for about 15 minutes; stir occasionally.
- Taste the soup and if it needs salt, pepper, or more sugar, add it now. Tips - If the soup tastes at all flat or bland, it likely needs salt. if it tastes acidic or has too much of a bite, it needs more sugar. Pepper is always nice to give flavor without adding spiciness.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and evenly distribute the baked garlic toast or croutons over the top of each bowl as desired.
- Garnish as desired with the mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, and optional red pepper flakes to taste, and serve immediately. Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat gently in the microwave. Store any garlic toasts or croutons airtight at room temp and apart from the soup or they will get soggy and disintegrate into the soup. See Notes for Slow Cooker*** instructions.
Notes
- Add sugar gradually to balance tomato acidity, starting with 1 teaspoon and adjusting after simmering.
- Use thawed, cooked meatballs of any preferred protein for convenience and flavor.
- Slow cooker option: sauté onions, peppers, and garlic first, then combine all ingredients and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.
- The soup mainly requires simmering since ingredients are precooked, focusing on melding flavors.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 521 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 521kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 17g | 6% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 38g | 58% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 101mg | 34% |
| Sodium | 1494mg | 62% |
| Potassium | 1150mg | 24% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 1040IU | 21% |
| Vitamin C | 15mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 163mg | 16% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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