Minestrone soup with meatballs is my hearty and warming take on traditional minestrone soup. Brimming with juicy and tender beef meatballs, lots of flavorful vegetables, creamy white beans and an array of fresh Italian herbs, it's a terrifically soothing one-pot meal!
Minestrone Soup with Meatballs, a Family Favorite
I cannot think of minestrone soup without thinking of my sweet and precious dad.
My dad utterly adores homemade minestrone soup, and very often when he and my mom visit with us, he'll put in a request for me to make it.
Like me, he loves to cook, and I know that in his own kitchen he does his best to replicate from memory what classic minestrone soup tastes like.
But call it sentimentality, I have a feeling he asks me to prepare it for him when he's with us because it tastes better when I (still his “little girl” ) make it for him out of an abundance of love. Who can blame him?
Because I know my dad is such a fan, he served as the inspiration for me preparing an even richer, more substantial version of traditional minestrone, the best possible version I could make.
Since in our family we all love lots of vegetables in our brothy soups, my minestrone recipe features generous additions of carrots, celery, zucchini and spinach. And to those delicious and abundant veggies I add pearl-like navy beans, and finish the soup off with lots of fresh, fragrant herbs such as parsley and basil.
But my homemade minestrone soup recipe becomes an extra cozy one-pot meal with the addition of flavorful, tender beef meatballs.
This slow-simmered minestrone soup with meatballs is a family favorite of ours, warming our bellies and comforting our souls. It's the perfect recipe to prepare when I long to share my love and my nurture with those most dear to me!
How to Make Minestrone Soup with a Rich and Meaty Twist
While a more traditional minestrone soup typically doesn't have meat, I've found that I really love the addition of beef meatballs to create a wonderfully meaty twist.
This, along with a few other key ingredients, makes this soup quite a bit more substantial, and adds some delicious flavor and richness!
Here's a peek at my minestrone soup with meatballs recipe: (or just jump to them full recipe below...)
- To prepare my meatballs, I season my ground beef liberally with garlic, dried herbs and a even a little pinch of red pepper flakes, along with some breadcrumbs plus a few other ingredients.
- To impart lots of extra flavor to the base of the soup, I first sear the meatballs off in the soup pot and then remove them to then saute my veggies in those tasty juices!
- Instead of red kidney beans I substitute creamy navy beans, as I find them a bit more delicate in flavor and texture. I add those in when I add back into the pot the seared meatballs and the broth.
- The little secret ingredient I add in as the minestrone soup simmers is a small piece of parmesan rind which infuses the soup with a slightly savory, nutty, cheesy flavor, and I removed it at the end. (This is optional, but if you remember to save the rinds from your wedges of parmesan cheese, you can use them for extra flavor in soups like this!)
- Once simmered, I add in some spinach and a generous sprinkle of fresh herbs; and to serve the soup, I spoon some cooked ditalini pasta into a bowl (instead of elbow macaroni), then ladle the soup over the pasta!
Recipe
Minestrone Soup with Meatballs
by Ingrid Beer
Category: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Yield: Serves 6
Nutrition Info: 574 calories
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Soup Ingredients:
• Olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch salt
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 large cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 (3 ounce) can tomato paste
• 5 cups beef broth or stock, warm
• 1 (15 ounce) can navy beans (or other small white beans), drained and rinsed
• Parmesan rind chunk (optional)
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil
• 1 ½ cups cooked ditalini pasta (or small elbow pasta)
• Grated parmesan, for garnish
Meatball Ingredients:
• 1 pound ground beef (85/15 ratio)
• 1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs (about a 2 ounce French roll, processed in food processor)
• 2 small garlic cloves (or 1 large), pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
- Begin by preparing your meatballs: add the ground beef to a large bowl, along with the remainder of the meatball ingredients, and using your hands, mix the mixture until well combined.
- Portion out about ½ ounce meatballs, and roll; chill meatballs for about 15 minutes.
- Once the meatballs have chilled, place a large soup pot over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil; once the oil is hot, add in about half of the meatballs, and brown them on all sides for about 3-4 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the browned meatballs and then repeat with the remaining meatballs; set all of the browned meatballs aside for a moment.
- Into that same pot drizzle in a bit more oil if needed, and add in the onion, carrots, and celery, and saute those for about 3-4 minutes, or until they start to become slightly tender.
- Add in the zucchini, along with the Italian seasoning, dry oregano, black pepper, pinch of salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic, and stir to combine.
- Once the garlic becomes aromatic, add in the tomato paste, and cook that for about 30 seconds, just to cook out the raw flavor.
- Next, add back into the pot the browned meatballs, along with the white beans and the beef broth/stock, and gently stir to combine; add in the parmesan rind chunk (if using), and cover the soup partially with a lid; bring the soup up to a rolling simmer, then reduce the heat to low and gently simmer the soup for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 25 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the parmesan rind, if using; add in the spinach leaves, parsley, and basil, and stir; check the seasoning to see if any additional salt/pepper if needed.
- To serve, add some of the cooked pasta to a bowl, and ladle the soup over top; garnish with grated parmesan, if desired.
Tips & Tidbits for my Minestrone Soup with Meatballs:
- Lean ground beef: Whenever I make homemade meatballs, I like to use organic, lean ground beef. The ratio of lean to fat I typically purchase is 85/15, which is ideal for this soup recipe. You can go leaner, but know that the meatballs may be a bit dryer and not quite as tender.
- Chill the meatballs before searing: Once you prep the meatball mixture and shape the meatballs, take about 15 minutes to chill the meatballs to help them firm up and keep shape when you sear/simmer them. Giving them a little rest after searing is always good too!
- Save your parmesan cheese rinds: Once you have enjoyed your wedge of parmesan cheese and have only the rind left, don't toss it out! It's a total flavor boost, not only for this minestrone soup with meatballs, but for marinara/red sauces as well. It is removed at the end of the cooking process, but lends great flavor while the soup (or a tomato sauce) simmers!
- Ditalini, the other tiny pasta: I love ditalini in place of elbow macaroni, just for a fun twist. I appreciate that it's a bit more delicate, but feel free to use small elbow macaroni if you'd like.
- Vegetarian option: If you'd like to make this minestrone soup vegetarian, simply skip the meatballs preparation and substitute the beef broth with vegetable broth. It'll still be incredibly flavorful!
Hungry for more soothing soup recipes? Check out this Italian Vegetable Soup, this Harvest Stew with Smoked Sausage, this Philly Cheesesteak Stew, or this Simple Lemony Chicken Soup with Spring Veggies!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2015, and has been updated with even more love!
Teresa
Thank you for your recipes and words of inspiration. It's good to feed the belly but sometimes you have to feed the spirit too.
The Cozy Apron
Teresa, thank you for your lovely comment. We all need some of both types of food, for sure!
Linda
This soup looks amazing!
The Cozy Apron
Thanks, Linda!
The Cozy Apron
Cheryl, that's exactly right. Beautifully put! Thank you for your comments.
Roseanne Sabol
Dear Ingrid, this soup is definitely going on my short list of "must make." Who knows, maybe even this weekend.
The Cozy Apron
Dearest Roseanne, I hope you do get the chance to try it out soon, and that you and your loved ones are warmed by it!
Roseanne V. Sabol
Hello, Ingrid.....a quick update. Here in CT, we are heading into yet another sub-zero and snowy weekend tonight. I made this today and gosh, golly, geez and boy-howdy!! this will warm our bodies and souls. So delicious!
Hope it's sunny and warm where you are.
Sending blessings.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Roseanne! So glad you made this for this freezing cold weekend you're about to have! WOW-wee!! And we're beyond frustrated here in SoCal, as it's about 88° to 90° here—ridiculous! So maybe we can trade one another a little of each other's weather, and find some balance between "arctic" and "summer time". What do ya say? 🙂
Tracee
I'm new here and have a quick question. I've noticed you have pre-cooked pasta and rice and don't add them to the soup. We eat soup several times a week and I am one of those cooks who just throws whatever I have into a pot. Drives my man MAD! In the event he wants a specific soup, he needs a detailed road map and Congressional approval.
I always add rice or pasta into the soup at the end with the fire off. I suspect you may be trying to avoid mushy rice and pasta which I understand. However, my "raised on a farm" man loves mushy. A 12 quart batch of soup lasts about two days...then I have to cook again!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Tracee, your comments made me chuckle! Hey, there's nothing wrong with throwing everything into the pot, so to speak, especially when your man "loves mushy", haha! Yes, the reason that I prefer to keep the pastas, rice or quinoa in my soup recipes separate is so that 1) everyone can add their own desired amount into their bowls, and 2) that all of that good broth doesn't get absorbed by the starches. So really, it's preference; if your man loves mushy, and everything thrown into the pot, go for it! We just prefer keeping 'em separate. 🙂 Hope you try this one!
Deana
Hello. We are expecting a ton of snow tomorrow so undecided to make soup and came across your recipe. I CAN NOT wait to eat this. It looks delish. I however have a question so that I don't mess this up. I normally bake my meatballs. Is it ok to do this or should I just be quiet and follow the recipe lol I Mixed the meatballs ahead of time to let the flavors incoporate but fried one up just to see how it tastes. IT WAS SOOOO GOOD! Can't wait to try this.
Thank you so much.
Deana From Pa
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The Cozy Apron
Hi Deana, you made me smile with your comments! Do you really expect me to tell you anything other than "follow my instructions/recipe", lol?! Haha! In all seriousness, I would advise you to follow my recipe; but if you really, really want to bake your meatballs off first, feel free. 😉 Do it however you prefer! And whichever way you decide, I truly hope you enjoy this soup, and that it comforts and helps keeps you nice and toasty-warm during the snowfall!
Suzette
I have made this four times in the past three months for my family and two additional times to deliver to friends. It is my 11 yr olds favorite soup! Thank you for sharing!
The Cozy Apron
Suzette, that is music to my ears—I love it when the kiddos enjoy the recipes! And I'm also honored that you've shared this with friends, as well—sounds like you cook with a lot of love and care, and I'm sure that all who eat your creation are blessed by that. Thank you for commenting!
Mandy
Looks delicious!! Love your blog and your blog's name! As the author of a blog -- My Daughter's Apron -- we apron wearers must stick together!! Cheers! Mandy
The Cozy Apron
Yes! 🙂 And "cheers" to you, too, Mandy! Thanks for stopping by my "apron"!
Kristi
This looks so delicious. I'm going to make it this week . I usually keep all my soups on low all day on the stove . Can I do that with this as well?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kristi, I'd say that if you have experience with this, and it works for you, then why not? (I only wonder if the meatballs would be too overcooked, but then again, they may be deliciously tender by then, too...) I have't tried that method, so it's a little tough for me to recommend, but I'd say go for it since you've done this in the past. 🙂
Morgan
Would this soup freeze okay? Maybe freeze soup without the pasta and add pasta on the reheat? I'm looking to cook it ahead for Christmas dinner.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Morgan, I think freezing should be fine. And definitely do not freeze with the pasta—leave that out and add to bowls of hot soup for best results; that way, if you have leftovers, the pasta won't suck up all the broth, lol! 🙂 Hope you enjoy.
Barb
My husband is a soup fanatic and I'm always looking for new recipes. I made this last night and we both love it! I did add some red wine to the broth which I liked. Other than that I made as directed. Yum! This will go on my rotation!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Barb, so wonderful to hear! Glad you both enjoyed, and it will become a part of your meal planning. Thank you for sharing!
Carly Davis
Would love to crockpot this soup. Any recommendations on timing and heat?
Thanks so much.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Carly, I wish I could advise you on this more expertly...unfortunately, I don't use a crockpot so I'm not certain on timing and temps. But since these are meatballs, and quite tender, I'd think cooking on a lower heat (perhaps longer if needed, then) so things don't fall apart would be better. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Karen
This sounded so good and I thought I had all the ingredients on hand but alas after I started a thorough search of my pantry and no tomato paste...I was too far along to run to the store so I substituted ketchup-the sweetness of the ketchup actually worked well and the final product was delish!
Perfect for a chilly evening paired with a good Italian red!
The Cozy Apron
Haha, that's great, Karen! What a unique substitute! I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup and were warmed by it; and the "good Italian red" is definitely the perfect pairing! 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Debra M
This soup is wonderful!! I never understood the appeal of minestrone until I tried your recipe. I used sweet Italian sausage instead of meatballs, and added some diced fennel bulb as well. Bravo! A family heirloom is born.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Debra, I'm so very honored to have this recipe become a "family heirloom"! 🙂 And your substitutions sound absolutely perfect for this soup—well done! Thank you so much for taking some time to comment on your experience with the recipe.
Kelli
I made this soup this past weekend and it was delicious! I have made several of your recipes and I have loved them all - the best thing about them is how easy they are to follow and the simpleness of the ingredients. My 11 year old also loved the Hungarian goulash with sausage. These will be put into the regular menu rotation.
The Cozy Apron
Kelli, I'm so very happy to read that, as it means a lot to me that folks be able to get a lot of comfort, nourishment and pleasure out of my recipes.
I'm thrilled that you've already tried your hand at several, and I believe you'll find even more to warm your bellies with! And I'm so glad your son loves the Hungarian Goulash recipe! I know the kiddos can sometimes be the toughest critics, lol.
AMY HYMAN
Hello there, I made you Meatball Minestrone soup in my instant pot. Wow, wow, wow! It came out great. Only thing I added was green beans because I had a few from the garden. It was fabulous! Great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
The Cozy Apron
Hey Amy, that's great to read! And the green beans (fresh from the garden no less!) are a wonderful little addition to this as well.
Thank you so much for sharing that your instant pot version of the recipe was a hit for all others looking to prepare this in the same way!
Dana E Moore
I have made this soup a few times now and it is a huge hit. My son-in-law said it's the best he's ever had! I added a little red wine this last time...it didn't really change the flavor but made the broth a little richer. I also used pork for the meatballs just because I love the flavor. But it is savory and delicious. And it gets better every day!
The Cozy Apron
Dana, I'm so happy to read that! I love it!
The red wine addition is perfect—whenever I have a bottle open, I often add even a little splash into my Italian-style tomato-y soups and sauces. Great thinking. And the pork is perfect!
Thank you so much for sharing your kind comments with me, and I hope the entire family continues to enjoy this soup!
Lynn
I love this recipe!! It was a got from the start! That being said I doubled some of my favorite ingredients and love it even more! Thanks for the starting place of one of our family favorites!
The Cozy Apron
Lynn, way to make this your own! Very glad to read things turned out so successful for you!
Rebecca V
Wow, all I can say is delicious. The meatballs are so soft and flavorful, everything cooked perfectly, and the broth is just scrumptious!!
I made a few personal tweeks for my families preferences.
1. used half the amount of metballs, and rolled them half the size (toddler mouth sized)
2. used about 1 cup less of every vegtable and half the amount of beans
3. added 1 cup of chicken stock on top of the beef stock
4. used cilantro only when serving and cut out the parsley all together
5. added a generous ( maybe too generous lol) amount of Sandhills Syrah red wine. Cooked it in after the tomato paste!
Very HAPPY with the end result. This will be going in my soup book!!
Thanks for sharing with us <3
The Cozy Apron
Hi Rebecca, glad you made this recipe to fit your needs and enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing!
Barb
Made this today for friends who came for lunch as the temps dipped into the low 30’s. Excellent flavor; our friends loved it, as did hubby. I’ll make it again leaving out the red pepper flakes and put them on the table for people to add, if desired. It was a bit spicy-hot for me and I’m thinking the leftovers may pick up even more heat when we reheat it tomorrow. It’s a keeper with that one modification for my admittedly spice sensitive palate. Thanks for the hearty soup recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Barb, it warms my heart that you prepared and shared this comforting and warming soup recipe with your friends!
Glad it was enjoyed by all, and yes—absolutely serve the red pepper flakes separately next time so everyone can adjust the spice level to their own preference. 😉
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me, and I hope you find many more soup (and other) recipes to warm and nourish you and your loved ones!
Erika
Hi! I've made this once already and everyone really loved it! Question, is it possible to sub the breadcrumbs in the meatballs with something else? The goal is to stay away from bread. Thanks!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Erika, you could use gluten-free breadcrumbs; but if you're trying to stay away from bread altogether (not only the gluten), then perhaps substituting some cooked rice or cooked quinoa might work, about the same amount. This will act as a binder, the way the bread does.
Hope that helps!
Erika Vladovich
Thank you very much!!! I'll give that a try!
KC
Made this excellent soup yesterday and my family loved it! I left out the pasta and the beans because we are low-carb and I didn't have time to make meatballs so I used store-bought but it was still yummy. (I assume you meant a 6-oz can of tomato paste - that's what I used and it was perfect!) Thanks!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi KC, that's excellent—so glad you all enjoyed!
Very much appreciate you sharing your experience. Happy cooking!
Julie
This soup is amazing, easy, delicious and simply a meal in a bowl. I can't believe I have waited an entire lifetime (kids all grown up) to make this type of recipe. My husband and I enjoyed immensely...he said "this is a keeper". Thank you Ingrid and have a very happy new year.
The Cozy Apron
Happy New Year, Julie!
I'm thrilled to read that you and your hubby enjoyed this rich, hearty and cozy soup so much. Better late than never!! 🙂
May you both enjoy it find much comfort and pleasure in it for a long time to come...and perhaps you'll even find a few more recipes here to pique your interest, as we have lots of soups and stews!
Happy cooking, Julie!
Geri
This soup was delicious!!!! A couple of things I did differently. I didn’t brown the chilled meatballs in the pan, I baked them in the oven @350 for 15 minutes. I also added 7 cups of beef broth and cooked the ditallini separately so they don’t turn to mush in the soup. It is just wonderful!!!
The Cozy Apron
Fantastic, Geri! Thrilled you enjoyed the soup. 🙂
Rjam
This is one of my new favorite soups. I made this recipe today and it’s absolutely wonderful. I was afraid the meatballs would be time consuming, but they really weren’t and were such a nice addition. I made the soup as directed except my mother-in-law does not like beans, so I omitted those and added mushrooms. I will definitely be making this again. I like that the pasta is cooked separately because I don’t love how soggy it all gets otherwise. Thank you!
The Cozy Apron
Oh, Rjam, I am so happy to read that! Thank you for sharing with me, glad you found the process with the meatballs simple enough. 😉
May you and your loved ones enjoy this soup for a long time to come, and be made cozy by it!
Camilla P.
I love this recipe. I have been using it as a guideline for the last five years or so. My mom made a version of this and this is the closest I have ever found to the taste of hers. It's best if you take time to make the meatballs but if I am in a hurry I make a "deconstructed" version and just brown the meat and add the ingredients to the soup itself. It's still delicious that way. I will also add some other veggies like green beans or mushrooms because as my Italian nonni always told me, minestrone is "kitchen sink" soup and you can put whatever you have in it and it's still good. Thanks for a great recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Camilla, thrilled you have been using this recipe as a guideline for your own version. Glad you are enjoying it, and making it your own, adding other veggies and even leaving the beef ground. This definitely IS a "kitchen sink" type of soup (the best type of soups, right? 😉 ) so getting creative with whatever you have on hand works great!
Happy cooking to you, Camilla!