Name: Chicken Meatball Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground chicken; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 cup bread crumbs; 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan; 1 egg; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion, diced; 2 ribs celery, diced; 2 carrots, peeled and diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 4 cups chicken broth; 4 cups water; 1 cup small pasta, such as orzo, stelline, or ditalini; 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped; Parmesan, for serving

The combination of hearty meatballs, tender veggies, and pasta makes this chicken meatball soup a heart-warming lunch or dinner on a cold day. Plus, leftovers keep well in the fridge and freezer making it a great make-ahead meal.

Chicken meatball soup in a white bowl with a spoon and a side of bread and parsley.

If you like meatballs and chicken noodle soup, you are going to love this recipe! This Italian wedding-inspired soup pairs chicken meatballs with pasta, veggies, and a flavorful broth to make an absolutely delicious and nutritious meal.

Not to mention, it’s incredibly versatile and can be made with ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground beef, and you can mix and match the vegetables and pasta shape to make different versions of this flavorful chicken meatball soup.

Two bowls of chicken meatball soup on a plate with parmesan cheese, parsley, and a side of crusty bread.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Meatball Soup

High in Protein – The chicken meatballs ensure that this soup has over 25 grams of protein per serving.
Lots of Veggies – The combination of wheat pasta, carrots, and spinach ensures that this chicken meatball soup has 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Freezes Well – This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months, which makes it perfect for meal prep and make-ahead meals.

Ingredients for chicken meatball soup: ground chicken, small pasta, fresh spinach, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, chicken broth, egg, celery, carrot, onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Ground Chicken – To make the chicken meatballs. You can use chicken sausage or ground turkey if preferred.
Parmesan Cheese – To add flavor and healthy fats to the meatballs.
Bread Crumbs – To ensure the chicken meatballs are moist and tender. You can use gluten-free bread crumbs if needed.
Pasta – While any pasta will work, a small pasta shape, also known as pastina, such as stelline pasta, ditalini pasta, or orzo pasta works best.
Egg – To help bind the meatballs.
Onion and Garlic – To season the meatballs and build flavor in the broth. You can use fresh or dried onion and garlic, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
Carrots and Celery – To add some veggies to the soup.
Fresh Spinach – To add some leafy greens and fiber to this chicken meatball soup. See the notes section of the recipe card to use frozen spinach.
Herbs – A bit of dried parsley to add some Italian seasoning to the soup. You can use fresh parsley if preferred, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
Broth – A combination of chicken broth and water to make the broth for the soup. You can also use chicken stock cubes or powder to make the chicken broth.
Salt and Pepper – To season the meatballs and the soup.

Ground chicken, bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and egg in a glass bowl.

Chicken meatball mixture in a glass bowl.

Dietary Adaptions

To Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta, gluten-free bread crumbs, and gluten-free broth.

To Make it Dairy-Free: Omit the parmesan cheese or swap it for half the amount of nutritional yeast.

Raw chicken meatballs on a baking sheet.

Baked chicken meatballs on a baking sheet.

How to Make Chicken Meatball Soup

Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and egg. Once mixed, roll it into 1-tablespoon balls until all of the meatball mixture is used. The mixture should make about 40 mini meatballs.
Bake the meatballs. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until completely cooked through and golden brown.
Sauté the vegetables. In a large pot on medium heat, warm the olive oil, then add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for an additional minute.
Add the broth and pasta. Put the broth into the pot, bring it to a boil, then add the pasta and cook to al dente as per package directions.
Add the meatballs and spinach. Once the meatballs are cooked, add them to the pot.
Add the spinach. Add the fresh spinach to the pot, stir to combine, and cook for a final 5 minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy!

You can find the detailed instructions for this chicken meatball soup in the recipe card below.

Pot with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken broth, and small pasta.

Pot with cooked chicken meatballs being added to chicken soup with pasta.

Red’s Nutrition Tip

Although some people consider chicken noodle soup an “unhealthy” choice, that is certainly not the case. The combination of pasta, veggies, and ground chicken ensures that this chicken meatball soup is a balanced meal full of complex carbohydrates, fiber, fats, and protein while being incredibly rich in micronutrients too.

Serving Suggestions

Chicken meatball soup can be enjoyed on its own but also pairs well with sourdough, crusty Italian bread, garlic bread, and/or a green salad.

Pot of chicken meatball soup with a serving spoon and a side of parmesan cheese and parlsey.

Variations

Use different meat. In addition to ground chicken, you can make this soup with ground turkey, ground beef, ground pork, or a mixture of them.

Add more veggies. In addition to carrots and celery, you can other vegetables such as zucchini, green peas, or kale.

Add more herbs and spices. You can increase the flavor of the soup by adding dried or fresh basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, or crushed red pepper flakes.

Add lemon. You can brighten the soup by finishing it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some lemon zest.

Make it creamy. Turn this soup into a creamy chicken meatball soup by adding a splash of heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk at the end.

Make it vegetarian. To make this recipe plant-based, you can swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and swap the meatballs for 2 cans of strained white beans instead, such as navy beans or cannellini beans, similar to a Pasta Fagioli Soup.

Chicken meatball soup recipe in two white bowls with a side of crusty Italian bread.

Can you cook the pasta separately?

Yes, you can cook the pasta separately or use leftover pasta to make this chicken meatball soup. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.

Can you make it in a slow cooker?

Yes. Prepare the meatball mixture into balls as per directions, but do not bake them. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, broth, water, and meatballs to a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on high for 6-7 hours. Once cooked, add the pasta and spinach, and cook for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour until the pasta is cooked to al dente and the spinach has wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Can you make it in an Instant Pot?

Yes. Prepare the meatball mixture and bake the meatballs in the oven as per instructions. Once the meatballs are baked, combine all ingredients in the Instant Pot and secure the lid, making sure the vent is sealed, then cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes. Once cooked, do a manual quick release.

Two bowls of chicken soup with chicken meatballs.

Storage + Reheating

To Refrigerate: Allow the chicken meatball soup to cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To Freeze: Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To make grab-and-go meals and reheating easier, you can freeze the soup in individual portion-sized containers.

To Reheat: To reheat from the fridge, place the soup in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat and warm for 5 minutes or until heated through. To reheat from frozen, thaw the soup overnight in the fridge and then place the soup in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat and warm for 5 minutes or until heated through. To reheat the soup in the microwave, place thawed soup in a microwave-safe bowl and warm for 1-2 minutes, with 30 additional 30-second increments as needed depending on the strength of your microwave.

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