Meatball Soup | Keto Friendly Low Carb Soup Recipe

Delicious and cozy Meatball Soup prepared in just 30 minutes with hearty meatballs gently simmered in a rich tomato broth loaded with aromatics and leafy vegetables. 

You can serve this soup with a side of my No-Knead Skillet Bread to sop up all that tomato goodness. If avoiding breads, move on over and try this soup with a side of my Creamy Garlic Mushrooms with Bacon.

An Easy and Quick Meatball Soup Recipe

This classic, yet timeless Meatball Soup is made in one pot featuring tender meatballs simmered in a a fragrant tomato broth with tomatoes, carrots, celery, and kale for added color and flavor. It is the ultimate end-of-Summer-meets-Fall-soup that will warm you inside and out! 

Meatball Soup is a wholesome meal that can make a perfect lunch, but also a stellar dinner. The soup is brothy, so serve it as-is if you’re following a low-carb, keto-friendly diet. IF you couldn’t care less about those carbs, you can serve this Meatball Soup with bread, rice, or pasta.

While homemade meatballs are always great and relatively easy to make, however, for this recipe, I almost always opt for the frozen, ready-to-go meatballs. I don’t even let them thaw. I like to keep my dinners easy as often as possible. BUT, if you want to make your own, grab this recipe for my Meatballs.

Recipe Ingredients

• Onions
• Celery
• Carrots
• Parsley
• Oregano: If at all possible, go with fresh oregano.
• Thyme: Again, use fresh thyme, if possible.
• Garlic
• Frozen Meatballs: Use your favorite store-bought meatballs. I use meatballs that are made with a mixture of chicken, pork, and beef.
• Canned (no sugar added) Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
• Broth
• Kale
• Fresh Parmesan Cheese

How To Make Meatball Soup

1. Heat up olive oil in a dutch oven or a heavy soup pot. 
2. Add diced onions, celery, carrots, and parsley to the hot oil and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just tender.
3. Stir in the chopped oregano, thyme, and minced garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. 
4. Add the frozen meatballs and continue to cook for 5 minutes. You do not have to thaw them out. If using homemade raw meatballs, make sure to cook them through before adding to the soup.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the chicken broth or beef broth; bring to a boil and continue to cook for 12 minutes, or until meatballs are tender.
7. Stir in the kale and cook for 2 more minutes. You can also use spinach.
8. Taste the soup for salt and pepper; adjust.
9. Remove from heat and add freshly grated parmesan cheese.
10. Serve. 

Tips for Meatball Soup

• As stated above, I use prepackaged meatballs for this recipe, but if you want to make your own from scratch, I suggest to bake the meatballs for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through, prior to adding them to the soup.
• Whenever possible, use fresh herbs for this Meatball Soup, but if you don’t have those on hand, just use 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. If you don’t have those two on hand, a teaspoon of Italian Seasoning also works. 
• This soup is really good as it is, but if you want to make a hearty meal, you can add small dry pasta (like, ditalini) to the soup right when you bring the soup to a boil and let the pasta cook with the rest of the ingredients.

Meatball Soup Variations

You can most definitely customize this soup to your taste, diet, or to what you’ve got on hand. 

• If avoiding meat, you can always use plant-based meatballs. I love these Meatless Italian “Sausage” Meatballs.
• When red meat is a no-go, turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs will work perfectly. 
• For those that can’t understand the love for kale, use baby spinach leaves, instead. 
• To amp up the veggie factor, add a couple cups of frozen vegetables the last 5 minutes of cooking.

How To Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Store cooled-down leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. 
• Reheat in a soup pot set over medium heat. You can also use the microwave to reheat the soup.

Can I Freeze Meatball Soup

YES! Try to make this recipe in bigger batches to freeze, then you can always have it on-hand for a quick and delicious meal.

• To freeze it, let it cool completely, then put it into an airtight container and place it in the freezer. It will keep for 2 to 3 months.
• To thaw, dump the frozen soup in a dutch oven or soup pot and cook over medium heat until heated through. Stir occasionally.

More Soup Recipes

ENJOY!

Tools Used in this Recipe

Meatball Soup

Delicious and cozy Meatball Soup prepared in just 30 minutes with hearty meatballs gently simmered in a rich tomato broth loaded with aromatics and leafy vegetables. 

Course: Soup, Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 256 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced into thin coins
• 2 celery ribs, sliced into half moons
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, you can also use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, you can also use 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound frozen pre-cooked meatballs
• 1 can (28 ounces) no sugar added fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth, you can also use beef broth, bone broth, or vegetable broth
• 5 ounces baby kale leaves
• grated fresh parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot set over medium-high heat.

2. To the heated oil add chopped onions, carrots, celery, and parsley; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until veggies are just tender, stirring frequently.

3. Stir in thyme and oregano; season with salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Add minced garlic and cook for 20 seconds, or until fragrant.

5. Add in the frozen meatballs and continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute.

7. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil.

8. Reduce heat to medium; continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until meatballs are tender and soup is hot.

9. Stir in kale and cook for 2 more minutes.

10. Remove from heat and taste for salt and pepper; adjust accordingly.

11. Add grated fresh parmesan cheese.

12. Serve.

Recipe Notes

NET CARBS: 10 grams

Nutrition Facts

Meatball Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 256 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 5g25%

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 337mg14%

Potassium 507mg14%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 4856IU97%

Vitamin C 28mg34%

Calcium 87mg9%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.