Italian Chicken Meatball Soup Recipe for Comforting Weeknight Meals

Soup:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 4 carrots, peeled & diced (or about 12–14 thick baby carrots thinly sliced)
• 2 celery ribs, washed & diced
• 8 cups low sodium beef broth
• 2 cups water, optional — noodles may absorb some liquid if left to sit, which can make a thicker leftover
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (14.5oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
• ½ lb Ditalini Pasta
• 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped basil

Meatballs:

• 1 lb (97%) lean ground beef
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 1 large egg

• Make the meatballs: combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until combined. Use a 1 tablespoon scoop to portion the mixture, then roll into uniform, round meatballs.
• Heat a large 8-quart nonstick stockpot over medium-high and sear the meatballs on two sides. You don’t need to cook them through; searing adds flavor. Remove the meatballs and set aside on a plate.
• Return the pot to the heat, warm the olive oil, then add carrots and celery. Cook 1–2 minutes to soften slightly.
• Stir in the beef broth, optional water, tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Cover and bring to a boil.
• Add the seared meatballs to the simmering broth. Cover and boil for 5 minutes, stirring gently to keep meatballs from sticking.
• Stir in the ditalini pasta and cook about 10 minutes more, or until the pasta is tender. Add basil and parsley, stir, and serve hot.