Easy Meatball Soup Recipe (With Frozen Meatballs)

Meatball Soup is the kind of dinner that warms you from the inside out. This easy meatball soup recipe uses frozen meatballs, crushed tomatoes, pasta, and a flavorful beef broth base to create a hearty, flavorful soup with minimal effort and simple ingredients.

A sprinkle of parmesan cheese at the end makes it a cozy meal and perfect for serving with some Easy Breadsticks or crusty Cheesy Garlic Bread.

Meatball Soup Recipe

This meatball soup is a always a favorite at my family dinner table. My kids LOVE meatballs, like really, really love them – which is probably why I have a huge collection of dinner recipes that use frozen meatballs! 

Some of our favorites is this Meatball Marinara, Easy Swedish Meatballs, and Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs.

Using frozen meatballs is so convenient, easy, and they’re delicious too. I love that frozen meatballs hold their shape when cooked and the flavor is actually surprisingly amazing. 

A one pot soup recipe with a flavorful broth and an aromatic base beef broth and crushed tomatoes, tender meatballs, and elbow pasta noodles. 

How To Make Meatball Soup With Frozen Meatballs and Pasta (Printable Recipe Card)

Heat the oil in a large soup pot, or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook, while stirring occasionally, until they are softened; about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the garlic cloves and cook for an additional 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) and mix together well until it’s a thick paste mixture. Cook for 30 seconds or until it’s very fragrant. 

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, frozen cooked meatballs, and beef broth. Bring to a boil. 

Once boiling, add the elbow pasta to the soup and cook for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking (al dente or softer). Stir the soup occasionally to ensure the pasta is separated and not sticking to the pot. 

Serve the soup topped with parmesan cheese, enjoy! You can put parmesan cheese on each serving or add it directly onto the soup before serving from the soup pot.

How To Store Leftover Meatball Soup

Leftover meatball soup should be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 2-3 days. You can also freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container, making sure to leave room in the container for expansion. Defrost frozen soup in the fridge overnight before reheating. 

To reheat, place the soup back into a saucepan on the stove and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. You could also warm it up in the slow cooker on the ‘warm’ or ‘low’ heat setting for 3-4 hours, or microwave individual servings in the microwave. 

Substitutions & Ingredient Notes

• Olive Oil : Any neutral-flavored oil can be used such as any variety of olive oil, avocado oil, or canola/vegetable oil. 
• Onion : use your preferred onion in this soup recipe; such as white, yellow, or sweet. Yellow onions and sweet onions have the most mild flavor, while a white onion is more zesty and onion-y. 
• Garlic Cloves : It’s best to use fresh garlic cloves, but you could also use chopped garlic from a jar or garlic paste. 
• Frozen Cooked Meatballs : They generally come in three flavors; beef/angus, homestyle, and Italian. Go with the flavor you prefer because any of them will be good in the soup. You can also make meatballs from scratch if you prefer; make sure that are fully cooked before adding them into the soup pot. 
• Beef Broth : You can use full salt or lower-sodium depending on dietary needs or preferences. Beef stock, beef broth, water + beef bouillon, or beef bone broth are all great options. For a completely different flavor profile, you could use chicken broth or chicken stock instead of beef. 
• Elbow Pasta : Another small shaped pasta can be used such as small shell pasta, bowtie, etc. 
• Parmesan Cheese : Buy a wedge of parmesan cheese and shred it yourself for the best, smooth, creamy melt and flavor. 

Recipe FAQs

Do I Need To Pre-Cook The Pasta?

No, you do not need to cook the pasta before adding it into the soup. Once you add the pasta, it will cook during the 15 minute simmer time and soak up all the flavors of the flavorful broth as it cooks. Add the dry, uncooked pasta to the large pot of soup. 

It Looks Like There Are Not Enough Meatballs. Should I Add More?

When you add the frozen meatballs it may seem like there are not enough, but there is; as the meatballs cook they swell in size and soak up some broth. One bag will be enough. If you add too many meatballs they will soak up too much broth and the ratios will be off in the meatball soup. 

Is The Soup Spicy With The Red Pepper Flakes?

The small amount that the recipe calls for is more for flavor than for heat. If you want the flavor, but not the very slight spice, then just add 1/4 teaspoon or 1/8 teaspoon. If you want spice, then I recommend adding more red pepper flakes or even some hot sauce into the soup. If you don’t want all the soup to be spicy, you can definitely add additional red pepper flakes and/or hot sauce to individual servings rather than all the soup in the pot. I never add the red pepper flakes when I make this recipe.  

Are There Other Garnishes I Can Add?

I think some freshly shredded parmesan cheese from a wedge is the best garnish. However, other options are chopped fresh parsley, oyster soup crackers, saltines, or try serving it with some crusty bread that has been brushed with olive oil, salt & pepper and baked in the oven until toasted. 

More Frozen Meatball Dinner Recipes You’ll Love

• Italian Meatball Soup
• Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs
• Crockpot Meatball Stroganoff
• Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders
• Crockpot Mississippi Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs (Frozen Meatballs)
• Slow Cooker Cheesy Enchilada Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Asian Sesame Meatballs