Italian Meatball Soup
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The COZIEST soup with homemade, tender, juicy meatballs, little pasta noodles (ditalini pasta) and sneaked in greens!
It’s freezing cold outside but I have everything I need right here with the coziest meatball soup. It is basically a giant hug in a bowl that just makes you feel so warm and fuzzy inside.
Made with completely homemade little meatballs (store-bought is completely fine if you’re in a pinch), ditalini pasta (my favorite little tube-like pasta), and sneaked-in greens (totally fine to swap out spinach for the kale or your favorite greens).
It’s an incredibly versatile recipe, and I sometimes make it ahead of time, stirring in the kale right before serving. I also always have a fresh baguette on standby for dipping purposes.

Italian Meatball Soup
Ingredients
for the meatballs
- ¾ pound lean ground beef
- ¾ pound Italian sausage, casing removed
- ½ onion, grated
- ⅓ cup Panko
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- ¾ cups ditalini pasta
- ½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
for the meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, Panko, milk, egg, Parmesan, parsley, garlic and basil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 3/4-inch meatballs, about 1 tablespoon per meatball, forming about 45 meatballs.
- Place meatballs in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes; set aside.
for the soup
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in garlic, onion and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in chicken stock and tomato sauce. Stir in meatballs. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in kale until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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I finally made this recipe and it is fantastic! Rich flavor with a light broth enhanced by simmering the meatballs….oh boy are we happy I doubled this! I’ll be sharing this with my elderly mother and her helper as well as having enough for us to enjoy during a football playoff weekend. Thanks for another great recipe – you have never lead me astray.
Any substitute suggestions for the whole milk? We only drink 2% and I can’t find it in me to buy a whole carton of milk for one recipe. Heavy cream maybe?
Mmm looks fantastic, and I can’t wait to try it! I like to prep hearty soups on Sunday and then refrigerate in portions for my work lunches that week. With pasta in this recipe, will that work well, or will the pasta become too soft?
I’ll bet this would pack well with some Parmesan crackers!
This was amazing and now I have a tasty and easy meatball recipe. My husband said it was the best soup he’s ever had!
My family loved this soup. So delicious and simple! Loved it on a cold, winters night. Highly recommend!!
I used a pound of each meat, subbed spinach for the kale, and doubled the soup portion. This soup was so delicious and my family asked for me to make it again on a cold day. Another win for Damn Delicious at my table.
Absolutely delicious! Perfect for a cold winter night. Hearty and full of amazing flavor. Made the meatballs in the morning before work, finished the rest for dinner and enjoyed tremendously. Will be making again.
Great, hearty soup!!
Amazing and delicious soup. Super easy. I didn’t have kale, so I added what I had on hand, which was carrots. It was delicious. I accompanied with toasted artisan sourdough bread.
I’ve been a huge fan of your recipes for years now. I feel like every single dish of yours that I’ve tried has been added to our monthly cooking rotation. This recipe is no different. Completely spot on. Wonderful flavors. Easy to make. Just. Gorgeous! Will definitely be cooking again.
Thank you Chungah!
Oh wow, is this soup delicious.! Just made a batch using frozen, prepared meatballs and spinach instead of kale, but still mouthwatering. Can hardly wait until lunch tomorrow for leftovers. All your recipes are divine.
Boy oh boy, is this good!! As is every recipe I’ve tried on your website! Because I like creamy soups, I added about 1/4 cup heavy cream at the end. Super fantastico! Thanks for another great recipe!
Really a very delicious recipe. On this day I was pinched for time and so I cut up prepared meatballs – it was still wonderful. Easy and worth it. Great flavor – almost like stew once the pasta goes in. Highly recommend.
Just sent the husband to the store to get everything for this soup! So exciting! 5 Star ⭐️ because everything you create is bomb!!