Homemade Meatball Soup Recipe - Happy Foods Tube (2024)

This is a recipe for hearty homemade meatball soup. Tender meatballs made from scratch, vegetables and chicken stock are turned into a bowl of deliciousness!

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Homemade Meatball Soup Recipe - Happy Foods Tube (1)

This filling comfort food goes well with bread rolls, French baguette or Focaccia Bread.

How to make a meatball soup

Prep the veggies – shred the carrots, dice celery, leek, parsnip and potatoes.

Homemade Meatball Soup Recipe - Happy Foods Tube (2)

Heat up the oil in a large pot and throw in all the vegetables, except for potatoes. Sauté them for about 5 minutes.

Then, pour in the stock and cover the pot with a lid. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer (covered) for about 10 minutes before adding the potatoes in.

Now prepare the meatballs – combine together the ground meat, egg, salt, black pepper, breadcrumbs and onion. The finer you chop the onion the better.

Homemade Meatball Soup Recipe - Happy Foods Tube (3)

Take about a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a meatball. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture (I got about 26 meatballs out of ½ pound of meat).

Homemade Meatball Soup Recipe - Happy Foods Tube (4)

At this stage the potatoes should be almost ready so you can add the meatballs in. Cook them until they are ready. This will take only several minutes.

At last stir in finely chopped dill.

Here are some more tasty soups:

  • Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
  • Healthy Carrot Soup
  • Roasted Mushroom Soup
Homemade Meatball Soup Recipe - Happy Foods Tube (5)

Tips for making meatball soup

  • I highly recommend using fresh dill to make this meatball soup. It gives the soup a ton of flavor.
  • Turnip can be used instead of parsnip.
  • Homemade meatballs are always better than the shop-bought ones but if you are stuck for time, use what is more convenient for you.
  • I used a mixture of ground beef & pork to make the meatballs, but it does not have to be a mix.
  • This meatball soup tastes better the following day so if you are looking for make-ahead recipes, this is one of them. Also note, that it will taste saltier the following day so be careful with the amount of salt you add in.
  • Chicken stock can be substituted with chicken broth, vegetable broth, beef broth. You can also use stock cubes but make sure to add only as many as needed for the amount of water you add to the pot.
  • Bear in mind that the level of sodium vary from stock to stock. If not sure, use low sodium stock and add more salt at the very end of cooking.
  • The meatballs will feel quite soft when rolling them. This is OK. They will turn out very tender after cooking.

This homemade meatball soup recipe is based on Estonian meatball soup (Frikadellisupp).

This is an old post that has been updated with new photos as well as tips and detailed instructions.

Homemade Meatball Soup Recipe - Happy Foods Tube (6)

Homemade Meatball Soup Recipe - Happy Foods Tube (7)

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5 from 10 votes

Homemade Meatball Soup

This is a recipe for hearty homemade meatball soup. Tender meatballs made from scratch, vegetables and chicken stock are turned into a bowl of deliciousness!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Servings: 5

Calories: 340

Author: Julia

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil , see note 1
  • 2 Carrots , shredded
  • 1 Large Celery Stalk , diced
  • 1 Leek , diced
  • 1 Parsnip , diced
  • 1 Large Potato , diced
  • 4 cups Chicken Stock
  • Fresh Dill to Taste
  • Salt and Black Pepper to Taste

For the meatballs:

  • ½ pound Ground Pork / Beef, see note 2
  • 1 Small Egg , see note 5
  • 2 tbsp Breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup Onion , finely chopped (50g)
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • A pinch of black pepper , generous

Instructions

  • Heat up the oil in a large pot and throw in shredded carrots, diced celery, leek and parsnip. Sauté them for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  • Pour in the stock, cover the pot with a lid and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes before adding the potatoes in.

  • Meanwhile: In a bowl, mix together all the meatball ingredients until well combined. Roll the mixture into small meatballs (I used about a tablespoon of the mixture per ball). Add them to the soup and cook until both the potatoes and meatballs are cooked through.

  • At last stir in finely chopped dill. Taste the soup and salt and pepper, if needed.

Notes

  1. Vegetable oil can be substituted with sunflower or olive oil.
  2. Ground pork, beef, turkey or a mix of these can be used to make these meatballs.
  3. If you don’t want to make meatballs from scratch, buy ready-made ones. If using frozen ones, cook them until they are ready.
  4. For more tips, I recommend reading the whole post.
  5. Use a small egg. If you use a large egg, it might be difficult to form the meatballs. If not sure what size eggs you bought, beat it in a bowl first and add only half of it.
  6. If you feel that the soup is way too thick to your liking, add an extra cup of stock or water.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine: International

Keyword: Easy Meatball Soup Recipe

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Meatball Soup

Amount per Serving

Calories

340

% Daily Value*

Fat

18

g

28

%

Saturated Fat

8

g

50

%

23

%

Carbohydrates

27

g

9

%

Fiber

4

g

17

%

Sugar

7

g

8

%

Protein

16

g

32

%

Vitamin A

4475

IU

90

%

Vitamin C

16

mg

19

%

Calcium

75

mg

8

%

Iron

3.2

mg

18

%

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

** As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Tried this recipe?Follow @happyfoodstube and tag #happyfoodstube

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Homemade Meatball Soup Recipe - Happy Foods Tube (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to soup? ›

7 Tips for Successful Soup Making
  • Use a Sturdy Pot. It is worth investing in a heavy pot with a thick bottom to use for making soup. ...
  • Sauté the Aromatics. ...
  • Start with Good Broth. ...
  • Cut Vegetables to the Right Size. ...
  • Stagger the Addition of Vegetables. ...
  • Keep Liquid at a Simmer. ...
  • Season Just Before Serving.
Oct 9, 2022

How to make meatballs less dense? ›

You guessed it, a little water or stock. You can take any meatball recipe and add a tablespoon or two of water or stock as a first step and see how it lightens your recipe. I like to add water or stock as a first ingredient and mix it thoroughly and then add the egg and mix it in the same way.

What makes homemade soup taste better? ›

7 Easy Ways to Make Any Soup Better
  1. Brown or Sear the Meat. ...
  2. Roast the the Veggies. ...
  3. Mix up the Texture. ...
  4. Use Homemade Stock Whenever Possible. ...
  5. Put Your Cheese Rinds to Work. ...
  6. Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples. ...
  7. Add Fresh Herbs or Dairy When Serving.

What gives soup the best flavor? ›

Herbs and spices add aroma, flavor, and intensity to soup broth. "Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices.

What not to do when making meatballs? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meatballs
  1. Not seasoning the meat.
  2. Not adding any moisture to the meat.
  3. Over-mixing the meat.
  4. Not shaping the meatballs correctly.
  5. Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.
May 1, 2019

Why do my homemade meatballs fall apart? ›

Don't add much apart from meat

Don't add too many non-meat ingredients to your meatballs. Herbs and spices are fine, but once you start adding loads of chopped vegetables you'll be creating all sorts of difficulty when it comes to getting it all to stick together.

Is it better to boil or bake meatballs? ›

Texture-wise, you will lose the crunchy exterior, but boiled meatballs remain juicy and are much more delicate and subtle, perfect for a hearty and nourishing winter meal.

What does adding milk to meatballs do? ›

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

Why do my meatballs taste like meatloaf? ›

Meatballs and meatloaf share a lot of the same ingredients for their recipes. Each of them uses ground beef, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Even their optional ingredients have crossover with the likes of parsley, garlic, and sometimes parmesan cheese.

What does baking soda do to meatballs? ›

Baking soda, otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate, appears often in köfte recipes. It raises the PH level of the meat, making it harder for the meat's protein molecules to bond. This in turn allows the meat to retain water as it cooks. And more water means a moist meatball.

How to make soup taste more rich? ›

Adding umami-rich ingredients like tomato paste or a parmesan rind to the soup will add a deep, rich savoriness and body to the soup.

What gives soup depth of flavor? ›

Dried herbs and seasonings: homemade seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and dried bay leaves lend flavor to the soup.

What not to do when making soup? ›

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup
  1. Boiling instead of simmering. You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. ...
  2. Not using enough salt. ...
  3. Ignoring water. ...
  4. Overcooking the vegetables. ...
  5. Adding tomatoes at the beginning. ...
  6. Neglecting to garnish. ...
  7. Not trying a pressure cooker.
Nov 19, 2014

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