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Chicken Meatball Soup Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 102 reviews

This comforting Chicken Meatball Soup features tender baked chicken meatballs simmered in a flavorful broth loaded with vegetables, herbs, and tender acini di pepe pasta. Finished with fresh spinach for added nutrients and a touch of parmesan cheese, this soup offers a warm, hearty meal perfect for any season.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup minced onion
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Soup Base

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups diced carrots
  • 1 cup minced celery
  • ½ cup minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 parmesan cheese rind
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Pasta and Greens

  • ½ cup acini di pepe pasta
  • 3 cups chopped spinach

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
  2. Make Meatball Mix: In a bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, minced onion, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, dried basil, dried parsley, black pepper, and salt until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  3. Shape Meatballs: Using a spoon or your hands, form the mixture into small ½ tablespoon-sized round meatballs and place them fairly close together on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
  4. Bake Meatballs: Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until they turn golden brown on the outside, ensuring they are cooked through.
  5. Sauté Vegetables: While the meatballs bake, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced carrots, minced celery, minced onion, and minced garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions start to soften and the vegetables release their aroma.
  6. Combine Soup Ingredients: Add the baked meatballs, chicken broth, parmesan cheese rind, bay leaves, dried basil, dried parsley, dried rosemary, and black pepper to the pot. Do not add pasta or spinach yet. Simmer the soup over medium heat for 10 minutes to meld flavors.
  7. Cook Pasta: Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, add the acini di pepe pasta and cook for half the time recommended on the pasta package to allow it to finish cooking in the broth.
  8. Finish Soup: When pasta is partially cooked, remove the pot from heat. Discard the parmesan rind and bay leaves to avoid bitterness.
  9. Add Spinach: Stir in the chopped spinach and cover the pot for 3 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt gently in the residual heat.
  10. Serve: Ladle the warm soup into bowls and serve immediately, optionally topped with additional parmesan cheese for extra flavor.

Notes

  • For best texture, bake the meatballs rather than frying to keep them tender and healthy.
  • You can substitute acini di pepe pasta with other small pasta shapes like orzo or ditalini if needed.
  • Low sodium chicken broth is recommended to control saltiness; adjust salt to taste if using regular broth.
  • If unavailable, fresh herbs can be substituted for dried, using about three times the amount.
  • Leftover soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheats beautifully.

Keywords: Chicken Meatball Soup, Homemade Meatballs, Comfort Soup, Healthy Chicken Soup, Easy Soup Recipe

Find it online: https://lucabites.com/chicken-meatball-soup-recipe/