This Italian Meatball Soup is a hearty, comforting meal made with tender meatballs, a savory, rich tomato broth, and tender pasta. It’s packed with classic soup flavors from onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and Italian seasoning, making it a flavorful soup.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides (they do not need to be cooked through), then remove to a plate and set aside.
In the same pot as the meatballs, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil if needed. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add in the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and Bay leaves and let come to a boil.
Add in the dried pasta and meatballs, and reduce the heat to a gentle boil and boil for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs are cooked through.
Remove bay leaves. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese!
Notes
You can buy raw premade meatballs in the meat dept. Or you can use premade meatballs if you prefer and skip the browning step.Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days. The pasta will soak up the broth. If you plan on having leftovers you can cook the pasta separately and add the pasta to each serving.To freeze its best to freeze the soup without pasta, add fresh pasta when reheating for the best texture.