Meatball Orzo Soup
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod
This hearty Meatball Orzo Soup is made with tender homemade meatballs, orzo, vegetables, spinach, fire-roasted tomatoes, and Parmesan in a flavorful tomato broth. It’s an easy one-pot dinner the whole family will love!
Servings: 6
Calories: 421kcal
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1/2 lb. ground beef, can use ground turkey
- 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for cooking
For the soup:
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup dry orzo
- 2 cups roughly chopped spinach
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make the meatball mixture. In a large bowl, combine ground beef (or turkey), sausage, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Gently toss with hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Form the meatballs. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size meatballs and transfer to a large plate.
- Brown the meatballs. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browned on all sides, turning occasionally. They don’t have to be cooked all the way through because they will finish cooking in the soup. Transfer cooked meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat the process with remaining meatballs.
- Cook the veggies. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until veggies have softened. Add garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Assemble soup. Poor in the broth and fire roasted tomatoes bring to a boil. Season soup with Italian seasoning, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, to taste. Add in the orzo and meatballs, reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes or until pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through.
- Add spinach and parmesan. Stir in spinach, parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for one more minute. Remove the bay leaf.
- Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use ground turkey in place of the ground beef.
- Use mild or hot Italian sausage depending on your preference.
- Brown the meatballs in batches so they get a nice golden crust.
- The meatballs do not need to be cooked through in the skillet because they finish cooking in the soup.
- Orzo cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it and avoid overcooking.
- The orzo will continue to absorb broth as the soup sits. Add additional chicken broth when reheating if needed.
- For a little extra heat, use hot Italian sausage and/or increase the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Freshly grated Parmesan is best for both the soup and serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 998mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5664IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 4mg