A perfect weeknight dinner! This meatball tortellini soup is a simple and cozy meal that’s ready in about 30 minutes.
Table of Contents
Absolutely the best. Even the kids love it. Now this is all they want to eat.
– Liane
A Few Notes Before You Get Started
- While I’m calling this a meatball tortellini soup, I’d actually say that it’s more like a meatball stew. It’s thick, satisfying, and full of pasta and meatballs (without too much broth). The sauce tastes rich and homemade, as though it’s been simmering on the stovetop all day in an Italian grandmother’s kitchen. If you like a thinner soup, no problem — just add extra broth.
- When grocery shopping for ingredients, make sure to pick up the larger 28-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, as well as the larger 15-ounce can of tomato sauce.
- Fully-cooked, frozen, thawed meatballs are a great shortcut that you can toss directly into the soup. I like the mini size (sometimes called “cocktail size”), which are easy to scoop up with a spoon. You can substitute with larger meatballs if that’s your preference, or you can cook your own homemade meatballs.
- Use refrigerated fresh tortellini, which cooks quickly in about 5-7 minutes. If you need to sub with dry tortellini or frozen tortellini, just adjust the simmering time according to the package directions. You may need to add more broth when using dry tortellini, since the dry pasta will absorb a little bit more liquid.
- I use a block of Parmesan that I grate by hand, since this melts smoother into the soup. In a pinch, a can of the pre-grated cheese will also work!
Directions
Thanks to frozen meatballs and quick-cooking refrigerated tortellini, this soup comes together in about 30 minutes! You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil in a big pot.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, beef broth, and thawed meatballs.
- Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes. This gives the meatballs a chance to warm through, and helps bring the flavors together.
- Add the tortellini and cook just until the pasta is tender.
- Stir in grated Parmesan cheese, then taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh herbs (like fresh parsley, oregano, or basil) and extra cheese, then serve!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the Italian tortellini meatball soup with a side of crusty baguette, no-knead Dutch oven bread, garlic bread, or pull apart garlic bread. A bowl of soup is also delicious with a crisp green salad dressed in Italian balsamic vinaigrette or red wine vinegar salad dressing.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: To prepare this soup in advance, follow the recipe instructions through Step 1, simmering the meatballs in the broth for 20 minutes. Do not add the tortellini or Parmesan. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, pack in airtight containers, and store in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, bring the soup to a simmer on the stovetop. Add the tortellini and cook just until tender. Stir in the Parmesan and serve!
- How to Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months; however, cooked pasta never keeps very well in soup for a long period of time (since it swells and becomes sticky or mushy). If you’re prepping in advance, follow the make-ahead instructions above and wait to add the tortellini until you’re ready to serve.
Really good! I added some fresh spinach and fresh basil right in the soup as it simmered and it was delicious. This recipe is a keeper for busy nights.
– Nancy
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Meatball Tortellini Soup
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
0 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
This 30-minute meatball soup with cheese tortellini is the perfect weeknight dinner!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes (not drained)
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 4 cups beef broth (or more to thin the soup if desired)
- 1 (20 ounce) package frozen Italian mini meatballs, thawed
- 20 ounces fresh refrigerated cheese tortellini pasta
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it's starting to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, beef broth, and meatballs. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to low and simmer (uncovered) for 20 minutes.
- Add the tortellini and cook just until tender, about 5-7 more minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Serve soup immediately. Ladle into bowls and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
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- This soup has a very thick consistency — almost like a stew. Feel free to stir in extra broth at the end to thin the soup, if desired.
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- Frozen Italian mini meatballs work best in this soup, since the smaller meatballs are a nice size for scooping up with a spoon.
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- I prefer the quick-cooking, fresh taste of refrigerated cheese tortellini. If you would like to substitute with dry tortellini or frozen tortellini, just adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions on your specific product. You may also need to add more broth to the pot, since dry pasta tends to absorb more liquid than fresh pasta while it cooks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 448kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 26gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1155mgPotassium: 685mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 452IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 4mg
Meatball Tortellini Soup Recipe Variations
- If you prefer made-from-scratch meatballs in your soup, follow these instructions. You can use ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork, ground turkey, or ground sausage to make the meatballs. They need to be fully-cooked before you add them to the pot of broth.
- Add diced carrots, celery, or zucchini for even more veggies and flavor. Saute them with the onion. You can also stir in frozen cut green beans or chopped kale towards the end of the cooking time (when you add the tortellini), or add a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach, frozen corn, or frozen peas at the very end. The delicate spinach will wilt almost instantly.
- Swap out the beef broth and use chicken broth or vegetable broth instead. Use low-sodium beef broth if you’re watching your salt intake.
- Cooking Just for Two? Prepare a smaller batch of soup by cutting all of the ingredients in half. For instance, use a 15-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, a 2-cup can of broth, fewer meatballs, and a small package of tortellini (rather than the 20-ounce “Family Size” called for in the full recipe).
This recipe was originally published in February, 2017. It was updated in September, 2024.
I added fresh spinach to the soup, and it was delicious.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Corinna!
Can I sub the same amount of tomato sauce for the diced tomatoes as my kids donโt like them?
The soup will be fairly chunky, but you could try it! We’d love to know how it goes if you do.
I made my meatballs from scratch (secret family recipe) and added carrots to this soup. We loved it and I canโt wait to make it again!!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Marie!
My soup was unfortunately extremely watery and not thick for some reason. Iโm not sure what the issue is. I followed the recipe and read reviews, I used fully thawed meatballs. Even before putting them in, the soup was extremely watery.
Sorry to hear this, Amanda! It might have needed to just simmer a bit longer.
This sounds delicious. Is there a substitute for the tortellini as we are carb conscious. Thanks.
Hi, Pat! If you don’t use pasta, the soup will obviously have a different taste and texture. I’m not sure what would be a good substitute that’s still low-carb. Maybe some cauliflower rice? Or other extra veggies, like zucchini, broccoli, or bell peppers? The starches in the pasta thicken the broth, so the broth will be thinner without the tortellini.
d28zvv
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit. I added carrots and celery to it along with the onion which I cut them up yesterday to save time for today and made meatballs from scratch that I cooked yesterday. Overall it was delicious and I have leftovers for tomorrow that I don’t have to cook
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Angela! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave your feedback.
This is one of my go-to recipes! The whole family loves it! I add more broth and put mini meatballs in instead of the bigger ones.
Thank you, Cassandra! This made our day.