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Italian Meatball Soup
5 from 96 votes

Italian Meatball Soup

Italian Meatball Soup combines tender baked meatballs made from a blend of ground beef and Italian sausage with a tomato-based broth enriched by chicken stock, vegetables, and ditalini pasta. The soup includes fresh herbs like basil and kale, adding earthy notes and color, while Parmesan rind infuses the broth with subtle savory depth. This hearty soup provides a balanced meal with the richness of meatballs and the lightness of broth and vegetables.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup

Ingredients

for the meatballs
  • ¾ pound ground beef lean
  • ¾ pound Italian sausage casing removed
  • ½ onion grated
  • ⅓ cup panko
  • ¼ cup milk whole
  • 1 egg large
  • 3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
  • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped fresh leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons basil chopped, fresh leaves
  • salt to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
for the soup
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 sweet onion diced
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • salt to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
  • 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (3-inch) parmesan rind
  • ¾ cups ditalini pasta
  • ½ bunch kale stems removed and leaves chopped
  • 3 tablespoons basil chopped, fresh leaves

Instructions

for the meatballs
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, Panko, milk, egg, Parmesan, parsley, garlic and basil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 3/4-inch meatballs, about 1 tablespoon per meatball, forming about 45 meatballs.
  3. Place meatballs in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes; set aside.
for the soup
  1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in garlic, onion and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  2. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
  3. Stir in chicken stock, tomato sauce and Parmesan rind, if using. Stir in meatballs. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
  5. Stir in kale until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  6. Serve immediately.