Italian Meatball Soup (Pizza Soup)

This delicious, cozy Italian meatball soup is an easy family favorite! All the best Italian, pizza-like flavors come together in a rich tomato broth with savory beef & sausage meatballs.

Creating This Italian Meatball Soup

This soup recipe was born of necessity. The “what’s for dinner?” questions began as I realized I hadn’t been to the grocery store yet. In the freezer, we had some sausage and beef, plus I had a couple veggies (onions and peppers) hanging out in the fridge. And, we always have chicken broth and cheese on hand.

So, I realized I could combine the meats to make savory Italian meatballs, and immerse them in a yummy soup! Thus, this recipe was born. My boys called it “pizza soup” because it reminded them of pizza flavors. What kid doesn’t love meatballs? It is seriously so good!

We didn’t expect to love it so much, and now it’s part of our regular soup rotation (we are a big soup family). This time, I added mushrooms and spinach to make it even better and sneak in more veggies.

Italian Meatball (Pizza Soup) Ingredients

• Sausage & lean beef – I think this is the best combo! Not too greasy, and the sausage gives it that unmistakable Italian flavor.
• Bone broth – chicken and beef both work well in this recipe.
• Onions & garlic – is it even legal to make an Italian recipe without these?
• Peppers & mushrooms – also classic Italian veggies, but you can swap them out with whatever you have.
• Crushed tomatoes – I think crushed tomatoes are the perfect texture, but you could use tomato sauce instead.
• Pasta – any small pasta shape works well in this recipe, including elbow macaroni, rotini, penne, ziti, shells, ditalini… whatever you prefer! I like using gluten free pasta also.
• Italian seasoning – gives the meatballs amazing flavor, and also enhances the broth.
• Egg – to help bind the meatballs together.
• Parmesan cheese – adds such a yummy richness to the meatballs. Also great for sprinkling on top.
• Spinach – totally optional, but I like adding a couple handfuls at the end for an easy way to get more greens.
• Half & half – adds a creaminess just before serving, but it’s entirely optional.

How to Make Italian Meatball Soup

Start by making the meatballs. In a large bowl combine the beef, sausage, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt & pepper, and egg. You can add breadcrumbs if you like; I prefer making these gluten free for our family. Brown the meatballs in a little oil in your soup pot for a couple minutes on each side. We aren’t fully cooking them through just yet; remove meatballs from pot and set aside.

Drain off some of the grease if necessary and add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms to the soup pot. Sautè for a couple of minutes until aromatic. Then add garlic and Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and sautè for a minute until aromatic.

Next, add your broth and crushed tomatoes to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and add your pasta of choice. Boil according to the pasta package instructions. When pasta is about halfway through cooking, add your partially cooked meatballs back to the pot and allow them to continue cooking.

Just before serving, turn heat to low and add a couple handfuls of spinach and stir in some cream if you like it. Top with crushed red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese!

Tips & Tricks for This Meatball Soup Recipe

• Swap out the veggies for whatever you have on hand. Other veggies that would be great additions to this soup are cabbage, carrots, or celery.
• I always add some half & half or heavy cream right at the end before serving the soup. It just adds that little something extra! But you can omit it if you prefer and just top with grated parmesan.
• Store this soup for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
• When you’re ready to reheat the soup, you may need to add a little more broth or water because the pasta tends to absorb more liquid as it sits.

More Soup Recipes to Love

• Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
• Creamy Roasted Chicken Soup
• Spicy Potato Bacon Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
• Chuy’s Copycat Chicken Tortilla Soup

What to Serve With This Soup?

Garlic knots or garlic bread would be perfect with this soup! I also love serving it with my crispy Southern cornbread. It’s also great paired with a side salad or dense bean salad!