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This cozy Vegetable Meatball Soup recipe is full of mini meatballs, pasta and veggies. It’s a bowl of soup that will fill you up and eats like a meal! Homemade meatballs browned and cooked to perfection add so much to chunky vegetable soup. Amazing flavor thanks to a special ingredient: parmesan rind! The whole family will love this recipe!

Pot of meatball soup with vegetables, pasta and topped with chopped parsley.

Why You Will Love This Simple Vegetable Meatball Soup:
Recipe Ingredients:
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Recipe Tips
Storage:
What To Serve With This Recipe:
Other Soups To Try:
Vegetable Meatball Soup Recipe
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Once the cold weather hits, nothing beats a warm and cozy bowl of soup.

This new meatball and vegetable soup was inspired by my favorite Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup that I make on repeat all fall and winter. I wanted a similar soup but with a bit more protein and thus this meatball soup was born!

Miniature meatballs, vegetables, ditalini pasta and the perfect amount of seasoning for a hearty bowl of comfort. Grab a fresh loaf of crusty bread or whip up these Greek yogurt dinner rolls and you will have yourself a meal!

Try these other simple soup recipes as well: Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup, Tomato Tortellini Soup, Sausage Gnocchi Soup or Easy Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup!

Why You Will Love This Simple Vegetable Meatball Soup:

An easy way to add extra protein to your vegetable soup. It starts with fresh vegetables, but this veggie soup adds hearty meatballs to really up the game and make it protein packed. One serving of this soup is 31 grams of protein! Try this Crock Pot Hamburger Soup packs the protein too!
Freezer friendly. I love a good freezer friendly recipe. We freeze soups all the time during the colder months so we can easily grab some and warm it up when craving a warm and cozy bowl.
A meal in one bowl. Soup and chili recipes do not have to be a starter. This easy homemade soup is a complete meal as it is. Vegetables, carbs, protein, its got it all!
Easy to vary. You can certainly adjust this soup recipe to really make it your own. Add extra veggies like bell pepper or zucchini, toss in some fresh herbs, adjust the seasoning, use a different meat or cheese for the meatballs, lots of options!

Recipe Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

ground beef: I use ground beef only to make these meatballs, but you can certainly use a combination of pork and beef if desired. I suggest using 85% lean ground beef. Ground turkey will work as well in this recipe–turkey meatballs are some of our favorites.
parmesan: freshly ground parmesan cheese for the best flavor–and the rind will end up in the soup for even more flavor!
breadcrumbs: use plain or Italian breadcrumbs. If using plain, I suggest adding a bit more Italian seasoning to the meatball mixture.
seasoning: a simple combination of salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use a combination of dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil and any other favorites.
garlic: freshly minced garlic cloves are strongly suggested for the most flavor.
egg: a large egg helps bind the meatballs together and retain their shape. If you have an egg allergy, you could mix the breadcrumbs with some milk before adding to the meat mixture to help hold them together. Use equal parts milk and breadcrumbs for this.
parsley: I like to add some fresh parsley for more flavor in these meatballs. If you don’t have any that is ok, just use dried parsley. You can add chopped fresh basil as well.
optional ingredients: I like to add a splash of worcestershire sauce when making meatballs and often add some lately when making this soup.

For The Soup:

vegetables: start out with classics: carrots, celery and onion. You could use parsnip in place of carrots if for whatever reason you didn’t want to use them.
tomatoes: canned tomatoes. You can use a combination of diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. I typically use 2 cans diced and one can crushed for the perfect texture in this soup recipe.
parmesan rind: this is a MUST for me in this recipe or really any soup for the most amazing flavor. Simmer your soup with a parmesan rind and it will add richness like no other ingredient. Some cheese shops or markets sell parmesan rinds on their own or you can buy a small wedge of parmesan and cut the rind off.
broth: you can use your favorite or preferred broth. I typically use chicken broth or beef broth when making this soup but prefer the chicken. Chicken or beef stock is also an option to enhance the beef flavor from the meatballs. You can certainly use vegetable broth if desired.
seasoning: Italian seasoning is my preference in this soup as it pairs with the parmesan flavor from the rind perfectly. You can add some crushed red pepper for a bit of heat if desired.
garlic: freshly minced garlic or garlic powder if you don’t have any on hand.
ditalini: ditalini pasta is my preference in this soup as it cooks up nice and quick and is a very small pasta. You could use elbow macaroni or some other short pasta if preferred.
spinach: I add some fresh baby spinach to many of my soups and I love it in this veggie meatball soup so much. You could use frozen if desired. Chopped or whole is fine.
tomato paste: tomato paste will thicken the broth a touch so that the broth is a bit heartier and not super watery. You can adjust the amount as desired.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Ground sirloin, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley and other meatball ingredients in glass mixing bowl.

Meatball mixture prepared in bowl with wooden spoon.

Prepare the meatballs: start out by adding all the meatball ingredients into a medium bowl. Use clean hands to combine the the ingredients until fully combined.
Roll the meatball mixture into small balls (approximately 3/4 inch in size is ideal). You will likely get about 50-60 meatballs depending on the size you make them.
Cook the meatballs stovetop: heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and when glistening, add the meatballs in batches to brown the outsides, turning once or twice for about 3-4 minutes. The meatballs do not have to be fully cooked as they can cook the rest of the way in the soup. Remove and set aside.
To broil: Line the meatballs on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Broil on high for about 5-7 minutes or until the outside of the meatballs are browned, but not cooked through just yet. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Sauteéd carrots, onion and celery in stock pot.

Broth and soup ingredients added to pot with parmesan rind.

While the meatballs cook, add a drizzle of olive oil to a heated large pot or dutch oven pot. Add carrots, onion and celery and sauté for about 3-4 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
Add the broth, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper and parmesan rind.
Set heat to medium and simmer until the carrots have softened and the broth comes to a low boil. Adjust the heat as needed to medium or medium-high to keep a low boil.
Add in the meatballs, spinach and ditalini pasta. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Remove from heat, stir in the tomato paste and allow to cool several minutes before serving. Remove the parmesan rind before serving.

Recipe Tips

Do not overcook the pasta. The pasta can become mushy and fall apart if it overcooks. The pasta tends to cook a little longer after the soup is removed from the heat, so it is safe to pull it off the stove when the pasta is just barely al dente to keep it from cooking too much.
Use gluten free breadcrumbs and pasta if needed. Make sure to use your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs or panko and gluten free pasta to make this veggie meatball soup recipe fully free of gluten.
Make sure the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F. You will brown the outside of the meatballs and then cook them the rest of the way in the soup. For food safety, make sure they are 165°F before serving.
You can air fry the meatballs if desired. You will likely have to work in batches, but you can air fry your meatballs as well for about 4-6 minutes at 350°F until the outsides are golden.

Spoon scooping into bowl with meatball soup topped with grated parmesan and parsley.

Storage:

Store leftover soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. To freeze, allow the soup to cool completely and then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

What To Serve With This Recipe:

I am always happy with soup an a big slice of fresh crusty bread. Or a havarti avocado grilled cheese of course! Some freshly baked honey biscuits or maybe Jiffy Cornbread Casserole would also be amazing alongside of a big bowl of meatball vegetable soup?.

You could also do a soup and salad and add this fun and flavorful Apple Arugula Salad or Roasted Pear Salad for more cozy flavor.

You can also try serving some appetizers like these Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms or Puff Pastry Brie Bites to kick it all off!