• Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • VIDEO SERIES: Learn to Cook on a Budget
    • How-To & Cooking Tutorials
    • Popular Recipes
  • Meal Plans
    • Weekly Meal Plans
    • Freezer Meal Plans
    • The ORIGINAL 20 Meals for $150 Plans
  • Classes
    • Grocery Savings 101 Workshop
    • Freezer Cooking 101 Workshop
    • Meal Planning 101 Workshop
  • Store
    • COOKBOOK: Feeding Teenage Boys on a Budget
    • COOKBOOK: Learn to Cook on a Budget
    • COOKBOOKS & PREP KITS: MyFreezEasy Freezer Meals
    • Erin’s Favorite Gadgets
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • About
    • Press
  • Login

$5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals and Cooking Tutorials for the Busy Home Chef

Deck the Freezer in 2025!

Italian Meatball Soup

October 16, 2015 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom Leave a Comment

33 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Sign up to receive FREE weekly emails with recipes, coupons and other money saving tips right into your inbox. Become a friend on Facebook too AND/OR join the $5 Meal Plan Family and get meal plans delivered to you each week!

Italian Meatball Soup Recipe on 5DollarDinners.com

First, let me start by saying this is not Italian Wedding Soup. (See that recipe here.)

This is a more tomato-y version of Italian Wedding Soup. It’s thicker and more like spaghetti and meatballs in soup form. And using small shell pasta instead of spaghetti.

Also, I’m very much a ‘make your own’ kind of girl. But this week, something had to give. I’ve been traveling more than normal. Got hit with a cold two weeks ago. Then the dreaded ‘fall grasses’ allergies…which pretty much knocks me on my back every year. Needless to say, I’ve been dragging along.

So I ‘cheated’ and bought pre-made meatballs. Just because….life happens. And I’m cool with that.

Italian Meatball Soup

(If you want to make your own meatballs, let me suggest these Herbed Meatballs. They would be perfect in this soup.)

Here’s my “spaghetti and meatballs” as soup recipe…

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Recipe Saved!

Italian Meatball Soup

So savory and easy to prepare!
Prep Time10 minutes minutes
Cook Time20 minutes minutes
Servings - 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 carrot sticks, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cups chicken or beef stock
  • 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 10 oz. box frozen spinach
  • 12 to 16 meatballs pre-made or homemade
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 8 oz small shell pasta
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • To a large saucepan, add the onion and carrots and saute them in the olive oil for a few minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and frozen spinach and bring to bubbling. Add the meatballs, basil, and thyme, then the small shell pasta.
  • (Note: if making your own meatballs, you'll need to brown them in a skillet before adding them to the soup.)
  • Let cook over medium low heat, at rolling boil until pasta is cooked, about 8 minutes. If cooking raw meatballs, simmer until meatballs are cooked through.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve Italian Meatball Soup.

Erin’s Personal Recommendations for Chili, Soup & Stew Supplies:

  • 6 qt. Cast Iron Dutch Oven
  • 12 qt Large Nonstick Stockpot
  • 6.5 qt. Programmable Touchscreen Slow Cooker
  • Stainless Steel Soup Ladle (dishwasher safe!)
  • 4 piece Stoneware Soup Bowl Set

31 Days of Soups, Chili, and Stews from 5DollarDinners.com

See all of our 31 Days of Chili, Soups & Stews Recipes here!

Other “31 Days of” Series to check out:

  • 31 Days of School Lunchbox Ideas
  • 31 Days of Slow Cooker Meals
  • 31 Days of Gluten Free Meals
  • 31 Days of Freezer Cooking Recipes
  • 31 Days of Skillet Dinner Recipes
  • 31 Days of Breakfast Recipes
  • 31 Days of Budget Friendly Paleo Recipes
  • 31 Days of Grilling Recipes
  • 31 Days of 31-Minute Dinners
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions on qualifying purchases. Reviews, opinions are my own.
33 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Beef Recipes, Budget Friendly Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Soup Recipes Tagged With: 31 Days of Chili Soups & Stews

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search $5 Dinners

Favorite Meal Planning & Cooking Resources

Whis-Kid Cooking Lessons Grocery Budget Makeover My Freezeasy Erin Chase Store 5DD Freebie Library 20 Meals for $150 Plans

© 2025 5 Dollar Dinners | Disclosure Policy | Copyright Information | Terms of Service/Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Design & Tech Support by Klong Designs



Copyright © 2025 · 5 Dollar Dinners Genesis Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in