This Meatball Soup features tiny, spoon-friendly meatballs simmered in a rich tomato-cream broth with pasta and spinach. Hearty, comforting, and perfect for cozy dinners, every bite delivers the ideal balance of meat, noodles, and broth.
Whisk the egg and milk in a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until a paste forms.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper until combined. Add the ground beef and ground pork and gently mix just until incorporated, taking care not to overwork the meat.
Roll the mixture into ½-inch meatballs and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 4½-quart soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Brown the meatballs in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning gently. Add a small splash of olive oil as needed and reduce the heat slightly if they brown too quickly. The meatballs will finish cooking in the soup. Remove and set aside.
For the soup
Place the diced tomatoes in a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender or mash with a potato masher to your desired texture. Leave some chunks if preferred. Set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil to the same soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced onions and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until softened.
Add the bell peppers and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the chicken broth, beef broth, and reserved tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Stir the soup and bring it back to a gentle boil. Add the meatballs and pasta, then return to a gentle boil. Cook until the pasta is tender, following package instructions.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
Transfer to serving bowls, garnish with Parmesan and parsley, and serve.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
Keep the meatballs small enough to fit easily on a spoon with broth and pasta.
Brown the meatballs lightly; they’ll finish cooking in the broth.
Use small pasta shapes so they don’t overpower the meatballs.
Blend tomatoes only partially for a thicker, more chunky soup.
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.