Description
This hearty Italian Meatball Soup is a comforting blend of tender homemade meatballs simmered in a flavorful broth loaded with vegetables, cannellini beans, and tomatoes. Perfect for a nutritious and satisfying meal, this soup combines classic Italian seasoning with wholesome ingredients to create a warm, delicious dish that serves the whole family.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped or shredded
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- â…“ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (29 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- â…“ cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the extra lean ground beef, finely chopped small onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, egg, salt, black pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined. Shape the mixture into small 1-inch meatballs, yielding about 25-30 meatballs. Place them on a tray and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, diced carrots, and chopped celery. Cook and stir occasionally until the vegetables become tender and softened, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Make Soup: Pour in the low-sodium beef broth and water to the sautéed vegetables. Add the canned diced tomatoes along with their juices, the drained and rinsed cannellini beans, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook Meatballs: Carefully add the prepared meatballs into the boiling soup. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until meatballs are fully cooked through and tender.
- Serve: Turn off the heat and ladle the soup with meatballs into serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese for added flavor. Serve hot and enjoy this comforting Italian Meatball Soup.
Notes
- Use extra lean ground beef to reduce fat content while maintaining flavor.
- Meatballs can be made a day ahead and refrigerated for convenience.
- For a spicier kick, add crushed red pepper flakes along with Italian seasoning.
- Low-sodium broth allows you to control the saltiness of the soup.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stove.
