Meatball Soup with Pasta

The summer heat is heavy but I don't mind it much. This week I made a big pot of vegetable soup with whatever was in the fridge. It fed us for days and I felt resourceful. I wrote the recipe with every step.

On Wednesday Kayla and I had a lemonade stand. We made a little money and I used it to buy extra spices for the kitchen. Mama was proud.

Thursday Daddy took us to the park. I ran around until I was tired and then we had a picnic with leftovers I packed. I like days when we're all together outside.

Saturday at MawMaw Shirley's we made etouffee. I stirred the roux without stopping even when it got hard. She watched and nodded. "Patience is a quiet strength," she said.

At night I wrote in my notebook: "Summer is teaching me how to make something from little." My hair is in a high puff and my round cheeks are sun-kissed. Twelve years old and collecting skills that will help me be the doctor I dream of being. I'm stirring slow and steady.

That week of making something from little—the vegetable soup, the lemonade stand money turned into spices, the slow steady stir of MawMaw’s roux—got me thinking about soups that feel hearty and whole even when you build them piece by piece. Meatball soup with pasta was exactly that kind of recipe: humble ingredients coming together into something that fills a whole pot and feeds a family for days. It reminded me that patience in the kitchen, just like MawMaw said, is a quiet strength. Here’s how I made it.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups small pasta (ditalini, elbow, or small shells)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined — don’t overwork the meat. Roll into small balls, about 1 inch each. Set aside.
Brown the meatballs. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown on all sides, about 4–5 minutes total. They don’t need to be cooked through yet. Remove and set aside.
Build the base. In the same pot, reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
Add the vegetables. Stir in the carrots, celery, and zucchini. Cook for 3–4 minutes, letting everything start to soften.
Pour in the broth and tomatoes. Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices), broth, basil, oregano, and garlic powder. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Return the meatballs. Nestle the browned meatballs back into the pot. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through and vegetables are tender.
Cook the pasta. Add the pasta directly to the pot and cook according to package directions, about 8–10 minutes, until al dente. If you plan to store leftovers, cook pasta separately and add to bowls when serving to prevent it from absorbing all the broth.
Finish with spinach. Stir in the baby spinach and let it wilt for 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning one more time.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan if desired. This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheats beautifully.

Nutrition (per serving)

Meatball Soup with Pasta — The Big Pot That Fed Us for Days