Chicken Meatball Soup
This Chicken Meatball Soup is a homemade tomato soup with Italian-style ground chicken meatballs based on the flavors of chicken parmesan soup. It tastes like a big hug in a bowl!
When you have a dream, do you think much of it?
I do. I believe our dreams are an extension of our subconscious.
Sometimes if a dream really sticks out, I’ll look up the meaning. Other times, dreams can be pretty literal.
Take this Chicken Meatball Soup for example. Want to know how I came up with the idea? I dreamed about making this soup.
That’s right – I was developing recipes even while sleeping.
Earlier that same day, I made chicken meatball parm subs for dinner
In my dream, I put them into homemade tomato soup. Genius, right?
Once awake, I knew I had to make this chicken meatball soup recipe, especially with the wind howling and snow piling high outside.
After working on it in the kitchen, I decided to base it off of chicken parmesan soup with ground chicken meatballs and both Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
Don’t have ground chicken? You can easily substitute ground beef.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Meatball Soup
- Uses canned tomatoes – Because fresh tomatoes are not in season during the winter, I opted for canned tomatoes so you can make it all year round.
- Meatballs cook directly in the soup – To save time (and dishes), you cook the meatballs right in the broth just like you would with Italian wedding soup.
- Make meatballs ahead of time – Looking to save time during the week? Make your ground chicken meatballs ahead of time and freeze. When ready to eat, drop them directly into the soup to cook.
- Makes 4 servings – This small batch soup is ideal for 1-2 people. You can eat two helpings each or enjoy some the next day for lunch.
Ingredients For Chicken Meatball Soup
To make your simple meatball soup recipe you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Ground chicken: Can also use ground beef
- Panko breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs help absorb the excess moisture so your meatballs aren’t falling apart. Panko is thicker and not the same measurement as fine breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses To make it chicken Parmesan soup
- Mayonnaise: You can also use sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Onion and garlic: Aromatics that bring lots of flavor in every bite
- Basil: An Italian herb to add some freshness
- Salt: Seasons the meat so you’re not stuck with bland, boring meatballs
- Olive oil and butter: Butter adds flavor while olive oil helps keep the butter from over browning
- Tomato paste: Thickens the soup without flour or cornstarch
- Canned tomatoes: Since tomatoes aren’t in season during the winter, using canned is the next best thing
- Chicken broth: The liquid base of your soup
- Sugar: Balances the acidity of the tomatoes
- Dried oregano: Gives your soup some Italian flair
How To Make Meatballs Without Eggs
Want to know my secret for making eggless meatballs?
Adding mayonnaise! All you need to do is add a tablespoon from a jar and voila – meatballs for dinner.
And yes I know mayo is egg-based which is why this substitute works so well. However if you’re looking for true meatballs without eggs, use sour cream or Greek yogurt. The creaminess will still bind the ground meat together.
How To Make Chicken Meatball Soup
Here’s how to make your chicken and meatball soup:
- Mix together chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, mayo, onion, garlic, basil, and salt.
- Roll the meat into roughly 12 meatballs and set aside (or freeze for future use).
- Fry onion and garlic in oil until softened.
- Stir in tomato paste, tomatoes, broth, sugar, oregano, and salt then bring to a boil.
- Puree soup in a blender until smooth then pour back into the pot. Bring back to a boil.
- Cook meatballs in soup until fully cooked.
- Melt cheese in soup.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
More Meatball Recipes
If you enjoyed these ground chicken meatballs, check out my buffalo chicken meatballs,sweet chili meatballs, and teriyaki meatballs.
Additional Soup Recipes To Make
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Stuffed Cabbage Soup
- One Pot Lasagna Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Roasted Jalapeno Soup
Chicken Meatball Soup
This Chicken Meatball Soup is a homemade tomato soup with Italian-style ground chicken meatballs based on the flavors of chicken parmesan soup. It tastes like a big hug in a bowl!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1/2 pound ground chicken or beef, thawed and patted dry
- 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (not fine breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (not from the green can)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon finely diced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (14 ounces) petite diced tomatoes with juice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (not from the green can)
Instructions
- For the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together meat, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, mayo, onion, garlic, basil, and salt. Using a #60 cookie scoop or by hand, roll the meat mixture into 1 inch meatballs (roughly 14 meatballs). Freeze while you make the soup.*
- For the soup: In a large Dutch oven, heat up the oil and butter until melted. Add the onion and cook until soft, 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, broth, sugar, oregano, and salt. Bring a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
- Add the soup mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer the soup back to the pot and bring to a boil again.
Be careful - because the mixture is hot, it will expand greatly in the blender when you turn it on. If needed, puree in two batches or use an immersion blender. - Once boiling, add the meatballs. Cook 7-10 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked with an internal temperature of 165F.
- Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses until melted.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
Notes
- *If you're making the meatballs ahead of time, freeze individually in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate for 1 hour then transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to use, add to the boiling soup then add an extra 5-10 minutes for cooking time.
- If you enjoyed this recipe, check out Meatball Parm Subs.
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Pure genius! I want this, scratch that need this! Also I think of recipes in weird places too. Usually in the shower or when I’m getting ready for work. Essentially when I’m unable to write the idea down. I just pray I don’t forget!
I am notorious for “writing” blog posts in the shower. Unfortunately by the time I sit down at a computer, words escape me. We need to invent something for this…
I don’t know if I’ve ever made a tomato base soup with fresh tomatoes. I’ll have to remember to try it out! Love this soup version of chicken parm too. Sounds very comforting for any ailment.
Oh you must try fresh tomato soup in the summer when you can get your hands on garden tomatoes! Seriously – grocery store tomatoes won’t do. The key is to not refrigerate your tomatoes, which unfortunately grocery store tomatoes often get refrigerated during transit.
I would’ve never guessed that refrigeration would impact their flavor. If I am still living with my parents when their tomatoes grow in their garden I’ll have to try!
Yes it does! I forget where I learned that (Alton Brown?), but the cold affects their tomato cells which then impacts their flavor. It’s why garden tomatoes taste so much better (assuming you don’t store them in the fridge afterwards).
Beautiful recipe – and warming to the bone! The combination tomato + parmesan + mozzarella would be great, but to have the meatballs in such a flavour-packed food is just heavenly. I mean, thyme, basil, oregano….. I’m in!
Very warming indeed! Usually plan pureed soups aren’t a meal to me, but the meatballs really do add substance. All you need now is garlic bread ;)
Genius idea! I love that you dreamt of this soup in your sleep. You now have me daydreaming of this soup on a cold and rainy day :P
I’m dreaming that I had another bowl of this for dinner today ;)
YUM! I got 4 brown grocery bags FULL of tomatoes from a coworker’s friend’s garden that I froze in the fall. I’ve been working my way through them all winter, but luckily, I have enough to make this soup over the weekend (when, coincidentally, it’s going to get cold again)!
Lucky you! My freezer isn’t big enough to store long term, so I’m stuck with canned. Until the summer when garden tomatoes are back! And yes I eat soup during the summer :)
Ha–I do too & people think I’m crazy. :)
Amazing looking soup, I would love a bowl right now!!!
Thanks Tara!
This looks like something I could eat every day and never get tired of. I love soups, and wish my dreams were so inspired and productive!
Yea seriously I’ve been in such a soup kick lately. Funny thing is I rarely ate soup growing up as dinner, but when there’s “nothing else to make,” it usually ends in soup.
I am so glad you dreamed about this soup then made it a reality!!!! I loooove my crazy dreams. You know who hates hearing about my crazy dreams, my husband! Because more often than not something is happening to him or he did something wrong in my dream. Poor guy!
Your poor husband. Next time tell him you dreamed about making him this soup ;)
Dude. That’s awesome. I love that you dreamed this delicious soup up!!!
I wish all recipes came that easily!
Excellent recipe! Pinned it, made it, loved it!
:)
I made this a few weeks ago and is quite possibly one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten.
Oh my gosh! This sounds so good. My daughter adores meatballs so she would be all over this soup.
LOVE this! a meatball sub in soup, delicious
I found this recipe on Pinterest and it is simply fantastic. The meatballs are so delicious and it was super easy. Rolling them in the breadcrumbs was such a good idea! Everyone from my super picky mom (74) to my super picky tween daughter ate it with compliments.
I doubled the recipe and did add an egg to the meatball mixture. The soup was easily the best tomato soup that I have made–I have tried 3 other recipes that were good but this is the keeper. It was also very easy, I just started dinner a bit early to compensate for rolling all those meatballs.
I cannot wait to try this recipe again when our tomatoes come in. Also, the meatballs would be great on sub sandwiches if you are lucky enough to have any left.
Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe!
Thank you so much for your positive review! I’m so, so thrilled you enjoyed the soup. Funny you should mention the meatball sub idea as I just posted a recipe for Chicken Parmesan Meatball Subs on Monday https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2015/04/20/chicken-parmesan-meatball-subs/
I just saw the subs post! I came straight to the recipe from Pinterest, thanks to your yummy photo. This is a seriously flexible recipe because you you easily serve the meatballs on a sub, in the soup or even with pasta all in the same meal. Can you tell I am cooking for a large, picky crowd? :-)
Now I am off to go through your recipe index!