In Ohio at the end of February and March, we have this weird in-between weather. It’s not quite Winter, definitely not warm enough for Spring. I would describe it as Soup Season. It’s seriously the perfect time of year for soup. And, personally, I can’t buy canned soup. Can’t do it. There is such a humongous difference between store-bought soup and homemade. Take minestrone, for example. There’s no chance that you’re getting the freshness of these vegetables in anything other than a homemade soup. And this Meatball Minestone Soup is exactly that- fresh. And rich, and hearty, and totally delicious.
I had toyed with the idea of making this a vegetarian soup. Ultimately, I sprang for a little extra heartiness and added some meatballs and I don’t regret it one bit. But you could absolutely make this a fantastic vegetarian soup if your heart so desires. Simply omit the meatballs and switch the beef broth to a vegetable broth. Voila.
Altogether, this soup was a little less than an hour to create. It had so much flavor, though, that it tasted like it had been cooking all day. And I absolutely love the fact that this soup is full of veggies. I can’t say enough good things about it. You’re just going to have to try it for yourself.
Let me show you how I made this Meatball Minestrone Soup 👇🏻
Begin with making the meatballs.
In a large bowl, combine 1.5 Lbs lean ground beef, 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1 large (whisked egg), 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Form the meatballs. Try and make the meatballs even in size. Not too small, not too big- remember these are going into soup.
Cooking the meatballs.
Grab a large non-stick skillet and drizzle in 1/2 tbsp of olive oil over high heat. Add half of the meatballs. You want to brown the meatballs. They don’t have to be cooked all of the way through because we’re also going to pop them in the oven for a bit. But you want some good color on them.
Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the browned meatballs on the baking tray and cook the second half of you meatballs.
When all of your meatballs are browned, place them in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they are cooked through.
They will look browned and divine when they are done. Set them aside.
While the meatballs are in the oven, start the soup portion.
In a large pot, over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil along with 4 oz diced pancetta, 2 sliced carrots, 1 sliced celery rib, and 1/2 of a diced onion. Cook until the pancetta has crisped up slightly and the veggies are soft, about 5-7 minutes.
Now add 1 large, sliced zucchini and 3 minced garlic cloves. Cook until the zucchini begins to soften and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add 2 tbsp of tomato paste, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp fennel seeds. Stir until the veggies are coated in the spices and the raw flavor has cooked out of the tomato paste, about 2 minutes.
Now add 8 cups of low-sodium beef broth.
Also add one 15.5 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes, one 15.5 oz can of (drained and rinsed) white beans, a parmesan cheese rind (optional), and the cooked meatballs.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 30 minutes until the veggies are tender and the soup has slightly reduced.
While the soup is simmering, cook 8 oz of ditalini pasta (or any other pasta that you prefer) according to package instructions until al dente.
Finishing touches.
After 30 minutes, retrieve the parmesan rind if you used it. Add 4 cups of spinach- it will look like a lot at first, but I promise it will cook down.
Also add 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese and the cooked pasta. Give it a good stir. And presto! That’s it. Ladle some into bowls and top with a little extra parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!!
Note: If you have leftover soup, the pasta will continue to absorb the liquid. Simply add a little more beef broth to the leftovers and gently reheat in a pot or in the microwave.
These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe. These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.
Meatball Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
For the Meatballs-
- 1 1/2 Lbs Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 1/2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
For the Soup-
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided
- 4 Oz Pancetta, diced
- 1/2 Large Onion, diced
- 2 Carrots, sliced
- 1 Celery Rib, sliced
- 1 Large Zucchini, sliced
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Tsp Fennel Seeds
- 8 Cups Low-Sodium Beef Broth
- 15.5 Oz Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 15.5 Oz Canned White Beans, drained and rinsed
- Parmesan Rind (optional)
- 4 Cups Fresh Spinach
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese + more for serving
- 8 Oz Ditalini Pasta
Instructions
Making the Meatballs-
- In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients. Roll the meatballs into evenly-sized balls.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large, non-stick skillet, add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil over high heat. Add half of your meatballs and brown. Don’t worry about cooking them through, just get some good color on them.
- Once they are browned, place them on the prepared baking sheet. Add another 1/2 tbsp of oil to the skillet and brown the remaining meatballs.
- When all of the meatballs are browned, pop them into the oven for 10-15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Set aside.
Making the Soup-
- While the meatballs are cooking in the oven, begin making the soup portion. In a large pot, over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Add the pancetta, carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until the pancetta is slightly crisp and the veggies are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and zucchini. Cook until the zucchini has slightly softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Now add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds. Stir, coating the veggies in the spices. Cook for 2 minutes until the tomato paste is no longer raw.
- Add the beef broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, white beans, and parmesan rind (if using). Add the meatballs back to the skillet as well.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 30 minutes until the veggies are tender and the soup has slightly reduced. While your soup is simmering, cook your pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- After 30 minutes, retrieve the parmesan rind if applicable. Then add the spinach, cooked pasta, and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Stir until the spinach has wilted and is incorporated.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a little extra parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
- Note: If you have leftover soup, the pasta will continue to absorb the liquid. Simply add a little more beef broth to the leftovers and gently reheat in a pot or in the microwave.
Welcome to Cupcakes and Sarcasm! My name is Maggie and I am the creator of C & S. I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kiddos. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and now live in Northeast Ohio with my family. I have been cooking and baking since I was a kid. I decided in 2017 that I wanted to share my passion (and recipes) with all of you! On this site, you’ll find easy and delicious recipes- both savory and sweet. I’ll also sprinkle in some stories of parenting and our adventures along the way.