A hearty meatball soup loaded with veggies, Italian herbs, and rich broth.
Meatball Soup

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons uncooked white rice
¼ cup grated carrot or zucchini
½ cup finely chopped onion, divided
1 ¼ cup finely chopped tomato, divided
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon chopped fresh mint or ¼ teaspoon dried mint (optional)
8 ounces ground meat, 15% fat or less (beef, chicken, turkey or pork)
¼ cup plain bread crumbs (optional)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 cups low-sodium broth (any type)
1 or 2 sprigs fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
2 cups chopped vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned)
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
- For meatballs: In a medium bowl, mix together the rice, carrot, ¼ cup onion, ¼ cup tomato, egg, salt, oregano and mint, if desired. Mix in ground meat. Add bread crumbs to help the mixture stick together, if desired.
- Using the palms of your hands or a scoop, roll the mixture into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Set the meatballs aside and wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw meat.
- In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium heat. Add ¼ cup onion and 1 cup tomato and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in broth, oregano and garlic powder, if desired. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
- Add meatballs to the broth. Cover and simmer until the internal temperature of a meatball reaches 165 degrees on a food thermometer, about 20 minutes.
- Add vegetables to the soup and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Top with a squeeze of lime juice and chopped cilantro.
- No breadcrumbs? Use 1 Tablespoon cornstarch instead.
Thanks to the OSU Extension Latin Heritage Workgroup for this recipe.
You might also like...
Strawberry Sipper Flavored Water

Strawberry Sipper Flavored Water
Strawberry puree makes this water refreshing and tasty!
Prepare:
5 minutes
Makes:
6 Servings
Baked Bananas with Pecans

Baked Bananas with Pecans
Quick and easy dessert with brown sugar, raisins and pecans. A fun recipe for kids to make!
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
6 Bananas
Skillet Mac and Cheese

Skillet Mac and Cheese
A simple recipe for a classic creamy, cheesy and comforting mac and cheese.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
20 minutes
Makes:
4 cups
Bell Pepper Smoothie

Bell Pepper Smoothie
This kid-approved smoothie combines veggies with sweet berries and pineapple. A great way to add more veggies to your meals!
Prepare:
5 minutes
Makes:
4 cups
Prepare:
5 minutes
Makes:
5 cups
Pumpkin Pudding

Pumpkin Pudding
A creamy pudding that is full of warm fall spices and pumpkin flavor.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Makes:
4 cups
Comments
This is a simple and tasty recipe. I was happy to have both herbs growing in pots. We loved the mint in the meatballs. We used ground beef and beef broth.