Meatball orzo soup is delicious, cozy and ready in a flash. Get dinner on the table in 30 minutes, perfect for a busy weeknight. This one pot dinner is veggie packed, full of hearty protein and something the whole family will love.
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We're in the thick of it with the winter season. Here in Colorado the temperatures have been in the negatives and we've had lots of snowy days. You know what that means! We're craving hot and cozy soup recipes.
Meatball orzo stew is a happy accident born out of ingredients I had on hand when the last thing I wanted was a trip to the grocery store in the deep freeze.
When I can finally talk myself into a grocery store trip again, I'll definitely be purchasing ingredients for chicken gnocchi soup and white chicken chili, two more cold season favorites in our home.
Jump to:
Add It To Your Winter Rotation
There are many reasons to put this delicious recipe on your weekly winter menu:
Fast: Make this easy meal in 30 minutes. It's straightforward and simple with no crazy ingredients.
Comforting: Cozy and perfect with a big piece of crusty bread. This soup will get the whole family warmed up.
Versatile: If you don't have meatballs you can make this soup with ground beef. No orzo? Try another pasta shape.
One pot: This scrumptious soup is a complete meal made in just one pot for easy cleanup.
What You'll Need
- Extra virgin olive oil: Avocado oil also works, though I enjoy the peppery flavor of olive oil.
- Mirepoix: A mixture of diced carrots, yellow onion and celery.
- Seasonings: Italian seasonings blend, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, bay leaves and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Chicken broth: Veggie broth would also work well.
- Orzo: A small, rice-shaped pasta!
- Cooked frozen meatballs: I use my homemade mini meatballs which I prep, bake and store in the freezer for use in lots of different meals. Of course, you can use store-bought frozen meatballs for max convenience.
- White wine vinegar: Just a tiny splash adds awesome flavor to this soup. You can also sub fresh lemon juice.
- Optional toppings: Grated parmesan, fresh parsley and extra pepper are great options but not required.
Making Meatball Soup
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Saute veggies:
- Measure olive oil into a large soup pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Add diced carrot, onion and celery. Sauté vegetables for about 10 minutes, until the onions become nice and translucent.
- Add all seasonings to the pot.
Add broth, pasta, meatballs:
- Add chicken stock, increase heat to high and place a lid on the pot. Allow ingredients to come to a rolling boil.
- Remove lid and add orzo, stir vigorously to keep it from sticking. Reduce heat to low and simmer pasta to al dente per time specified on packaging. Continue stirring occasionally as orzo has a tendency to stick.
- Add cooked frozen meatballs and simmer 5-10 minutes longer, until heated through.
Serve:
- Before serving, stir 1-2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar into the broth. This is optional but it does add LOADS of flavor.
- Add a bit more salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls and add toppings like parmesan cheese, fresh parsley or extra pepper, if desired. Serve with some crunchy garlic bread for dipping and enjoy.
Stacey's Top Tip
Orzo often sticks to the bottom of the pot. Stir continuously for a couple of minutes when adding it in to help prevent this. And, while it simmers, be sure to continue stirring occasionally to loosen any attached pieces.
Recipe Remix
You can make endless variations of this hearty soup. Feel free to get creative and try all kinds of different things. Here are some ideas:
Greens: Stir in finely chopped kale, Swiss chard or baby spinach leaves. Add greens at the very end. They'll cook super quick and only need a short, gentle simmer.
Creamy: Add a splash of heavy cream or half and half to create a creamy rendition of this soup. You can use canned coconut cream as a nice dairy free option.
Pasta: If you don't have orzo, try another noodle shape. Whatever you've got on hand! You can also use long grain white rice or basmati rice instead of pasta.
Ground beef: Instead of small meatballs, use ground beef in your soup. I recommend browning beef first, draining excess fat and then sautéing veggies along with the cooked crumbles. I use this method in my hamburger potato soup.
Protein: Sub chicken meatballs or turkey meatballs or use ground turkey/chicken.
Serving Suggestions
Soup and salad is a classic combo. Serve your meatball stew with a simple garden salad and zesty Italian dressing.
And of course, you can never go wrong pairing bread with soup. I love big pieces of crunchy garlic bread or crispy crostini for dipping!
How To Store Leftovers
Refrigerate: Allow soup to cool completely and transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat: Heat leftovers in a large saucepan/pot on the stovetop or in the microwave. I often add an extra splash of chicken broth and pinch of salt when reheating leftovers. This soup gets pretty thick in the refrigerator because the orzo keeps absorbing liquid.
Freezing: If you want to freeze this soup, I'd recommend making it without orzo and adding it later when you heat on the stovetop.
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Meatball Orzo Soup
Equipment
- 1 Big soup pot *Or large dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large carrots *diced
- 1 small yellow onion *diced
- 1-2 stalks celery *diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 bay leaves
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 5 & ¼ cups (three 14.5oz cans) chicken broth *or veggie broth
- ⅔ cup orzo pasta
- 1 pound (16oz) frozen cooked meatballs *see note below
- 1-2 teaspoons white wine vinegar *or lemon juice *optional
Recipe notes:
Meatballs: You can use store-bought or homemade meatballs!Instructions
- Place a large pot on the stovetop and add olive oil. Turn heat to medium.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Once oil is heated, add diced veggies and sauté 5-10 minutes until onions are translucent.2 large carrots, 1 small yellow onion, 1-2 stalks celery
- Add seasonings.2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1-2 bay leaves, Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Stir in broth, place a lid on the pot, increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil.5 & ¼ cups (three 14.5oz cans) chicken broth
- Remove lid and add orzo, stir vigorously to keep it from sticking. Reduce heat to low and simmer pasta to al dente per time specified on packaging. Continue stirring occasionally as orzo has a tendency to stick.⅔ cup orzo pasta
- Add meatballs and simmer 5-10 minutes longer until they're completely heated through.1 pound (16oz) frozen cooked meatballs
- Stir in white wine vinegar.1-2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- Taste test and add more salt/pepper if necessary.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls and add toppings like fresh parsley, parmesan cheese or extra pepper if desired. Enjoy!
How To Store:
- Refrigerator: Allow soup to cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.
- Freezer: If you want to freeze this soup, make it without orzo and then add pasta when reheating.
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