Easy Mom’s Meatball Soup

What Is Meatball Soup?

This classic meatball soup is full of chunky veggies and meatballs, vibrant colors, and has a thirst-quenching clear and savory broth. It is similar to Italian wedding soup, though usually without the leafy greens. This soup checks all the boxes of a balanced, nutritional meal — protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, and more.

This simple meatball soup recipe was one of my mother’s signature dishes. To feed her small army of children and a hungry husband, she would make a giant pot of this soup. We would all keep coming back for more until we had our fill. If there is anything that represents a Ukrainian household, a pot of meatball soup is high on the list. For more filling and healthy soups, try our white bean soup, vegetable soup or beef barley soup.

How To Make Meatball Soup

There’s nothing complicated about this meatball soup recipe. Make the meatballs, dice the veggies, combine everything, then wait. We promise the waiting is the hardest part — but you won’t have to wait long!

• Mix up the meatballs: Mix together the ground meat, salt, pepper, and a large egg.
• Form the meatballs: Using a cookie scoop to portion out the mixture into round meatballs. Set aside.
• Sauté the aromatics: In a small pan, sauté the carrots and onions in olive oil until they are soft and slightly golden.
• Make the broth: Heat a large soup pot with four quarts of water over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, rice, and sautéed veggies. Bring the broth to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the meatballs: Carefully drop the meatballs one at a time into the boiling water and gently stir. Keep the water boiling while adding all the meatballs. When all the meatballs are in, turn the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Garnish the soup: Add green onions and parsley to the soup and cook for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Meatball Variations

Switch things up and satisfy your taste buds with different meat variations. Check out a few of our favorites.

• Italian ground sausage: Italian ground sausage (usually pork-based and mixed with garlic and herbs) makes for extremely tasty meatballs. These meatballs bring an earthy, Italian flavor to the soup.
• Ground chicken: Similar to ground turkey, ground chicken makes great meatballs. We love the simplicity and lightness of these.
• Ground beef: If you like beefy flavor, use lean ground beef for your meatballs. Combine it with beef broth for the ultimate beefy flavor!
• Mixed meat: Use a mixture of ground meats for a more savory and dense meatball.

Tips For Making Meatball Soup

Although meatball soup may sound daunting, be confident in your cooking skills! Follow these tips to make a perfect pot of soup each time and boost your culinary confidence.

• Opt for a pre-made broth: For a more flavorful broth, use chicken broth instead of water. We love using this to make simple yet delicious chicken broth!
• Substitute the rice: For a healthier alternative, opt for brown rice instead of white. Or, exchange the rice with pasta instead (we love egg noodles). Make sure to add the pasta to the pot in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking to prevent overcooking.
• Add in extra veggies: If you have extra veggies in the fridge you need to use up, don’t let them go to waste! Kale, cabbage shreds, celery, and corn are great additions to this soup.
• Use raw meatballs: There is no need to pre-cook or fry the meatballs at all! Cooking the meatballs in the broth actually makes them more tender and infuses a tasty flavor to the broth. Don’t worry, any “rawness” cooks off while the soup simmers.
• Keep the water boiling: When adding the raw meatballs, make sure the water stays boiling the entire time. The boiling water helps the meatballs stay together while they cook through.
• Be generous with the fresh herbs: Fresh herbs take this soup to the next level. Fresh parsley and green onions are the classic choice, but dill or fresh basil work great, too!

Serving Meatball Soup

Meatball soup is a wonderful option for family dinner. Top the soup with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and add a side of Ukrainian garlic bread rolls — everyone is sure to have a full belly afterwards!

If you’re looking for more options to pair with this soup, consider a tangy choice like farro salad with lemon vinaigrette or Mediterranean chickpea salad. Or, serve the soup as a first course option, followed by air fryer chicken wings or chicken Kiev with a side of creamy herbed potatoes.

Storing & Reating Meatball Soup

This recipe makes about 10 servings of soup, so it’s likely you’ll have leftovers. Lucky you! Follow these storage tips to get the freshest taste out of your leftover soup.

• Refrigerator: To store for up to five days, pour the cooled leftover soup into an airtight container and place it into the fridge.
• Freezer: Store meatball soup in the freezer for up to three months. Make sure the soup is cool before freezing and place it in an airtight freezer-safe container!
• Reheating: Reheat a large amount of soup in a pot over medium heat, or quickly reheat smaller bowls of soup in the microwave. If the soup has thickened too much, add a splash of broth or water!

More Delicious Soup Recipes

• Fish Soup (Ukha) — Warm, light, and full of fresh fish flavor
• Healthy Buckwheat Soup — Buckwheat and bone-in meat make a perfect hearty soup
• Sorrel Soup Recipe — A classic Slavic soup made with green sorrel
• Borscht Recipe — The epitome of Slavic soups, made with red beets and beef

Recipe

Easy Mom’s Meatball Soup

Print Pin

Servings

10 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

Mom’s classic meatball soup is loaded with vegetables, rice, and quick homemade meatballs. Ready in under an hour, this recipe will be another soup "go-to"!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt divided
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium carrots grated
• 1/2 medium onion finely diced
• 3 medium potatoes cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup rice
• 2 tbsp green onions chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

US Units – Metric

Instructions

Making Meatballs For the Soup

• Combine the ground meat, 1/2 tbsp salt, pepper, and an egg.
  
• Shape round balls out of the meat mixture. You can use an ice cream scoop to achieve more even results.
  

Mom's Meatball Soup

• Sauté grated carrots and diced onions in 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté until the vegetables are soft (about 5 minutes) and set them aside.
  
• Place a cooking pot with 4 quarts of water on high heat. Add potatoes, rice, and sautéed ingredients to the pot. Bring it to a boil and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
  
• Once the broth is boiling, add meatballs in one by one. Make sure that the water is boiling at all times, otherwise the meatballs will fall apart. Season with remaining tablespoon of salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
  
• Add chopped green onions and parsley to the meatball soup. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
  

Nutrition Facts

Easy Mom's Meatball Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 124 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 1086mg45%

Potassium 208mg6%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 2154IU43%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 15mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.