Quick Italian Meatball Soup
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This quick and easy Italian meatball soup recipe includes tender meatballs and veggies slow-cooked in a flavorful broth and served with bowtie pasta.
Good day, everyone! Today I’m so excited to be sharing my Italian meatball soup recipe with y’all. When I say it’s quick and easy, you know I mean it. You’ll be enjoying a big bowl of deliciously hearty soup in under 30 minutes. This is the perfect comfort food dish to dig into on a cold winter day. It’ll warm you up from the inside out and keep you feeling full all afternoon or night long. I typically make it as a quick lunch when I’m feeling fancy and want more than a sandwich.
The secret to this recipe’s quickness is the fact we use pantry and freezer essentials. We’re talking frozen meatballs, frozen mixed vegetables, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes, and bowtie pasta. Do you have most of these ingredients at home already?
All we’re going to do is place all of the ingredients in a pot (minus the pasta) and bring them to a boil. Then we reduce the heat, add the pasta, and let those flavors mingle and cook until the pasta is al dente. This will probably take less than 15 minutes. Then it’s time to serve! Grab a big bowl of Italian meatball soup and save the leftovers for later on in the week. Meal prep at its finest.
This is one of my favorite soup recipes. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s simple, but it’s also bursting with flavor. I just know y’all with love it too. Serve this soup with cornbread, buttermilk biscuits, garlic bread, or dinner rolls.
What You’ll Need to Make Quick Italian Meatball Soup:
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken broth
- Diced tomatoes
- Bowtie pasta
- Frozen fully cooked meatballs (either turkey or beef meatballs).
- Frozen mixed vegetables
- Italian seasoning
- Farfalle or bowtie pasta
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make My Easy Italian Meatball Soup:
Combine broth, tomatoes, meatballs, vegetables, and Italian seasoning in a large pot or dutch oven.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Turn the heat down to medium and add pasta.
Continue to cook for 12 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs are heated through.
And there you have it! The quickest and easiest Italian meatball soup you’ve ever made! And it’s oh-so-delicious, too!
Storage for Quick Italian Meatball Soup:
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can simply reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop on low heat until heated through.
- Freeze leftover soup for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating it as above.
Recipe Variations
Here are some suggestions and swaps to make this recipe work for you:
- Add 2 cups of baby spinach leaves or kale to the soup during the last few minutes of cooking time.
- Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves.
- Use crushed tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes.
- Use the veggies of your choice. They can be frozen or fresh vegetables. Some other great soup veggies include diced celery, carrots, red bell pepper, fresh minced garlic cloves, mushrooms, potatoes, green beans, or onion.
- Add a can of cannellini beans.
- Use the short pasta variety of your choice, like pasta shells, ditalini, orzo pasta, orecchiette, or elbow macaroni noodles.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Swap the chicken broth for beef broth or vegetable broth.
- Use any type of frozen meatballs, including beef, turkey, plant-based, or Italian meatballs. Or you might like to use homemade meatballs (made with ground beef, eggs, oats, and tomato sauce).
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with Italian meatball soup?
This is the perfect main dish as is. But if you like, you can serve the soup with a bread-based side dish to soak up the broth. Some homemade suggestions include cornbread, buttermilk biscuits, garlic bread, or dinner rolls.
Can you make Italian meatball soup in the slow cooker?
Yes, you can! Add the ingredients to the crock pot and cook them on low for 3 to 4 hours.
Can you make vegan Italian meatball soup?
Yes, it’s actually super easy to make vegan Italian meatball soup. First, swap the meatballs for the plant-based or “meatless” frozen meatballs of your choice. Then use vegetable broth and ensure the pasta is vegan-friendly and doesn’t contain eggs. That’s it, you have a vegan meatball soup now!
Can we tempt you with these recipes too?
Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Copycat Recipe)
Salisbury Steak Meatballs in the Crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 32-ounce cartons chicken broth
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups uncooked bowtie pasta
- 16 ounces small beef or turkey frozen meatballs
- 1 16-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables
Instructions
- Combine chicken broth, tomatoes, vegetables, Italian seasoning, and meatballs in a large pot. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat.2 32-ounce cartons chicken broth, 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 16 ounces small beef or turkey frozen meatballs, 1 16-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables
- Turn the heat down to medium and add pasta. Continue cooking for approximately 12 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs are heated through.2 cups uncooked bowtie pasta
Nutrition
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
~Chinese Proverb
Welcome Janice! Glad you are able to help Christy out. I’m sure you will have some great recipes for us.
Hugs to you!
It’s so nice to meet you & share your recipes & experiences. Being 61 myself, I know the experiences of learning from the masters, our mothers & grandmothers. We also learn from our children who in thrie turn add their own touch to our recipes, making them even better. Christy I see where you get your charming personality, lol. Hugs & Love to all.
Thanks, for the recipe I am ready to start cooking. surprise,surprise (family)!!!. Bless you Janice
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing and can’t wait to see what other amazing recipes you share with us! Thanks Mama!
Thanks to Christy for sharing her mama with us! I love soups in the fall and winter months.
Mama Janice I can’t wait to see what else you have in store for us.
I found Southern Plate through Southern Living and have been a fan ever since!
This soup sounds like a good start for you. Welcome Growing up at holidays we always had spiced peaches on the table. Do you have a recipe for them.
Hi Mary Jo, I do seem to remember my grandmother and mother making spiced peaches. I think they called them pickled peaches since we canned them in jars when the peaches were in season and then put them on the table like pickles for special occasions. They had cloves in them and were delicious. Could that be what you are talking about?
Welcome Mama Janice!!! I am so excited for the recipes you’ll share! I’ve followed and loved Christy for a long time now! I met her at one of her book signings and she was exactly as I thought she would be…just as sweet as her accent, gracious as a Southern woman should be and humble as pie 🙂 You sure did raise her up right! She and I also share the same birthday (although I am a few years older than she is, lol). I love new recipes especially older ones, so much so that I love purchasing old cookbooks and recipe boxes at estate or yard sales! Cant wait to try your recipes and read more of your stories!