Meatball Soup with Pasta

This hearty, healthy and absolutely delicious meatball soup with pasta is perfect for the winter and it makes for some delightful leftovers.

I don’t know about you but soup season is in full force at our house pretty much all year long. Our latest delight is this hearty, healthy and absolutely delicious meatball soup with pasta.

I’ve had the recipe saved on my computer for a couple of years now – so long I can’t remember where I originally found it online, although I have a note that it was first published in Canadian Living.

I added my own variations, including using a favorite meatball recipe instead of the one listed in the recipe and we were all incredibly pleased with the comforting warmth and flavor of this soup.

A simple tomato base makes up the body of the soup – enhanced with garlic, onions and other every day herbs and spices.

It gets a burst of freshness from the frozen peas stirred in right at the end and the little nubbins of tender orzo make this super kid-friendly.

Not only was the soup perfect for dinner but the leftovers were absolutely dreamy!

One Year Ago: Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Two Years Ago: BBQ Chicken Braid
Three Years Ago: Skillet Chicken Pasta with Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Meatball Soup with Pasta

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

5 stars (2 ratings)

Print Pin Rate Save Saved!

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 cup panko crumbs or regular bread crumbs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 ½ pounds lean ground turkey, chicken or beef
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

For the soup:

• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoons dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (use fire-roasted diced tomatoes for a boost of flavor)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup dry orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• For the meatballs, line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, stir together the panko and buttermilk. Let the mixture sit for five minutes. Add in the ground meat and all the other ingredients. Mix until well combined.
• Form 1-inch or slightly larger-sized meatballs and place them about 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside (if there is an excess of grease on the baking tray, remove the meatballs to a paper-towel lined plate).
• To make the soup, while the meatballs bake, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste until well combined. Add the diced tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Add the orzo pasta and brown sugar, stir, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender but not mushy and soft. Stir in the peas and meatballs (see note above the recipe!) and cook until just heated through. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Alternately, you can add the meatballs to individual bowls of soup if you don’t want to stir them into the soup with the peas.

Notes

Red Pepper Flakes: for a boost of flavor and spice, add a pinch of dried red pepper flakes to the soup!

Meatballs: you may end up with extra meatballs (which is why I didn’t stir them all into the soup and instead, served them individually in each bowl of soup). Simply freeze the leftover meatballs to be used another time (perfect in these meatball subs or a remake of this soup).

Author: Mel

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Method: Bake, Stovetop

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 498kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 57g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 139mg, Sodium: 1151mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 14g

Recommended Products

Cookie Sheet {Half Sheet Pans}

Mixing Bowl

Cookware

Recipe Source: adapted from Canadian Living found online via a blog years ago (I forgot exactly where!)

Other Recipes Like This:

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Amazing Leftover Ham Bone Lentil Soup

Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Noodle Soup

Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup {Quick and Easy}