Parmesan Meatball Soup is the ultimate comfort food! This cheesy, hearty Meatball Parmesan Soup topped with melted cheese and basil just might be the best soup you’ve had all year!
This post may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you.
Easy Parmesan Meatball Soup
This delicious Meatball Soup is filled with shell pasta, Parmesan meatballs, garlic, onions, tomatoes, lots of cheese, and so many spices. Meatball Parmesan Soup is such a hearty and delicious recipe for winter!
It’s officially SOUP SEASON! And not just any old soup…COMFORT FOOD SOUP SEASON! There’s simply nothing better than hearty, cheesy, hot soups. Nothing. Well, maybe Italian food, like pasta and meatballs. So let’s combine the two and make Cheesy Parmesan Meatball Soup!
This Meatball Parmesan Soup is the ultimate indulgent soup of the season. I could eat this all winter long (and probably will). It’s so full of flavor, it’s delicious, and it’s meant to be savored. Pick any cold day the next couple months and make yourself a nice big batch, you definitely won’t regret it!
This Meatball Soup with Parmesan Meatballs is the kind of recipe our family will make again and again throughout the years. It’s the kind of recipe you think about and crave days after you’ve had it for the first time. Why is it always the soups that are like that? Just like Mom’s Creamy Chicken Soup, I think this is one of her best creations yet.
Make this delicious Cheesy Parmesan Meatball Soup recipe this season. Inspired by Chicken Parmesan Soup, it’s filled with so many amazing flavors!
Easy Meatball Parmesan Soup
Obsession isn’t a strong enough word for how I feel about this Cheesy Meatball Parmesan Soup. It reminds me a bit of my Chicken Parmesan Pasta Skillet, so much cheese and so much flavor. The secret is in the meatballs. Not just any old meatballs…my mom’s parmesan meatballs! Heaven.
We decided to prepare the soup almost like a French Onion Soup, broiled with a layer of cheese on top. I mean, can you blame us? This recipe is easy peasy, and oh so delicious. Make a big batch and save some for later!
Parmesan Meatballs
It wouldn’t be meatball soup without the delicious parmesan meatballs! While they’re only one small part of the overall soup recipe, they add so much flavor and texture.
The meatballs are actually really easy to make too. Just combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, then shape the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. This recipe makes about 22 parmesan meatballs.
Parmesan Meatballs Ingredients:
- Ground Chuck
- Egg
- Parmesan Cheese
- Breadcrumbs
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Italian Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
I added them into the soup raw–they cook up quite nicely along with the soup and add a lot of flavor that way. But you can brown the meatballs before adding them in if you prefer!
Try some of our favorite meatball recipes: Swedish Meatballs, Italian Meatballs, Meatball Parmesan, Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs, and Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
How to Make Parmesan Meatball Soup
I love making soups because they’re so easy. There are a lot of ingredients and so much flavor, but making soup is essentially just throwing everything into a pot and letting it cook up to perfection!
That’s why I love this cheesy meatball soup. I can make it without too much stress, eat a bowl (or two) for dinner, then save the rest for another time.
Make up the meatballs, throw everything into a pot, let it simmer, then add in the pasta and finish cooking. I made these extra special by baking a layer of cheese on top, like you would with French Onion Soup.
When the soup is done, ladle it into oven-safe bowls, sprinkle the cheese on top, and broil. That thick layer of cheese on top makes all the difference!
Grab lots of cheese and a spoon and get to cooking! You’re going to love this Cheesy Parmesan Meatball Soup as much we do!
Our favorite soup recipes:
- Bacon Corn Chowder Recipe
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Swedish Meatball Soup
- Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Beef Tortilla Soup
- Sausage and Lentil Soup
- Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Minestrone Soup with Pancetta
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Cheesy Parmesan Meatball Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground chuck – equals 22-1½ inch meatballs
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup regular breadcrumbs
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar dissolved in 1½ cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 oz. uncooked small shell pasta or your favorite small pasta
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 baguette sliced and toasted
- 4 cups shredded Italian cheese blend or shredded mozzarella
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gently mix together until ingredients are well combined. Shape into 1½-inch balls and set aside.
For the Soup:
- In a Dutch oven or a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, heat olive oil and butter. Sauté the diced onion until it is translucent and soft. Add the minced garlic to the onion and cook 30 seconds more.
- Add chicken broth, meatballs (we add them into the soup raw, without browning them. If you prefer to brown them, you can, but it’s not necessary. Allowing them to cook into the soup adds some nice flavor!), crushed tomatoes, sugar water, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, bay leaves, oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 30 minutes.
- Add the dried pasta. Simmer, and stir occasionally, until the pasta is cooked to Al denté (still a little firm) 10 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Add 1/3rd grated Parmesan cheese and stir. Cook over low heat until cheese has melted and soup has thickened.
- To serve:
- Preheat oven to broil.
- Place bowls, evenly spaced, on a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls, and top with ¼ cup shredded cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and melted. **Watch closely!
- Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped fresh basil and serve.
- Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
Flavor wise- this was so amazing! I did have a problem with it being super greasy. I followed the recipe as written and cooked my raw meatballs in the soup and there was a layer of fat of the top. Any ideas on how to avoid this?
Grease can happen depending on how fatty the meat is. We simply skim it off if there’s too much. With just a little, you can stir it back into the soup.
This was delicious, perfect combination of spices for a flavorful soup/broth. I was in a rush and used frozen meatballs in my Instant Pot. I first sauteed the onion and garlic in the butter and oil. Then I added frozen meatballs, pasta, 2 cups beef broth, 1 cup water, spices, and crushed tomatoes. Pressure cook for 5 minutes, natural release for five, then added the parm cheese. Will definitely make this again!
What kind of bowls did you use for in the oven?
Any mini oven-safe bowls!
Can this be made in crockpot for how many hours
Thanks
Making this now smells and tastes delicious
Thank you, Gail!
What is the baguette for?
You can use it to dip into your soup!
Looks great i will try this soup
I can’t wait for you to try it!!
Can this be frozen?
Yes, absolutely!
It was good. More cheese is needed.
Always feel free to add more!
This recipe is delicious! My husband raved about it. I made it in one large pot instead of individual servings, worked great. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Can’t wait to make it again on a cold winter’s night!
Thanks, Amy!