Easy Slow Cooker Italian Meatball Soup

This Italian meatball soup is one of those lovely in-between meals that’s somewhere between a soup and a proper bowl of pasta. It’s packed with meatballs, vegetables, tomatoes, pasta and spinach, so you definitely aren’t going to finish a bowl wondering what else you can eat!

It’s particularly easy to make in the slow cooker. Most of the ingredients go in at the beginning and cook on LOW for around 6–7 hours, then the pasta and spinach are added towards the end so they don’t spend all day turning to mush.

I use frozen meatballs, which makes this considerably quicker to prepare, and there’s no need to defrost them first. The recipe also includes a little red wine, Italian herbs and plenty of vegetables, with Parmesan added at the table if you fancy it.

One reader, Jayne, told me this became a weekly staple in her house after she tried it, which I think is probably one of the nicest compliments you can give a family dinner!

What goes into Italian meatball soup?

This is a pretty substantial soup, which is why I think of it as a meal rather than something you’d have in a tiny bowl before dinner.

I use frozen meatballs because they’re quick and easy. They go straight into the slow cooker with carrots, celery, onion, frozen vegetables, Italian seasoning, beef stock, red wine and chopped tomatoes.

Using frozen vegetables makes the preparation even easier. My original recipe suggests an Italian vegetable mix or a chunky frozen vegetable mix containing things such as baby corn and sugar snap peas. There’s no need to make life harder by chopping ten different vegetables if you’ve already got something suitable in the freezer.

The pasta and spinach are different because they go in towards the end.

What meatballs should I use?

I use frozen meatballs and add them straight to the slow cooker.

You don’t need anything particularly fancy, so choose meatballs you and your family normally enjoy. Beef meatballs work well with the tomato and red wine sauce, but different brands vary quite a lot in size, seasoning and fat content.

If you’re making your own meatballs instead, remember that cooking times may be different depending on their size and whether they’re going into the slow cooker raw or already cooked.

Do I have to use red wine?

The original recipe uses 145ml of dry red wine, which adds extra depth to the tomato broth.

If you don’t cook with alcohol, I’d rather you use a suitable alternative than buy a bottle of wine specifically for one soup. Extra stock is the obvious starting point, although the flavour won’t be exactly the same.

If you do use wine, you don’t need an expensive bottle. Save that for drinking if that’s your thing!

When should I add the spinach?

Spinach goes in right at the end.

Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the sliced fresh spinach and let it cook just long enough to wilt.

There’s absolutely no benefit to putting spinach into the slow cooker seven hours earlier. By the time you came back to it you’d have green memories rather than spinach!

Adding it at the end keeps some colour and texture in the finished soup and takes hardly any extra time.

What pasta should I use for Italian meatball soup?

My original recipe uses ditalini, which is a small pasta shape that’s ideal for soups.

It isn’t always the easiest pasta to find in UK supermarkets, though. One reader, Jayne, couldn’t get hold of it and used macaroni instead. She said the soup was such a hit with her family that it became a weekly staple, so I’d say that’s pretty good evidence that macaroni works!

Other small pasta shapes should be fine too. I wouldn’t use something enormous because you want to be able to get pasta, vegetables, sauce and a bit of meatball onto your spoon rather than wrestling with a piece of rigatoni.

Most importantly, don’t add the pasta at the beginning.

Let the soup cook for around 6–7 hours on LOW first, then stir in the dry pasta and switch to HIGH for around 15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.

Different pasta shapes can take slightly different amounts of time, so check yours rather than relying entirely on the clock.

Is Italian meatball soup supposed to be thick?

Mine is definitely a substantial soup rather than a thin broth.

The pasta absorbs some of the liquid as it cooks, while you’ve also got meatballs, tomatoes and plenty of vegetables in there.

If it becomes thicker than you’d like once the pasta has cooked, add a little more hot stock until you’re happy with the consistency.

If you’re reheating leftovers the following day, don’t be surprised if they’re thicker again. Pasta carries on absorbing liquid while it sits in the soup, so you may want to loosen it with another splash of stock before reheating.

Personally, I quite like it when it’s somewhere between soup and stew. It’s much more satisfying on a cold day!

What about Slimming World?

I originally shared this recipe when Just Average Jen was much more focused on Slimming World, which is why the old version included Syn calculations for everything from the red wine to the Parmesan.

Those values and products change over time, so I don’t think it’s particularly helpful to keep old calculations on the recipe.

If you’re currently following Slimming World, check the ingredients and products you’re using against the latest information from Slimming World. Otherwise, just enjoy this as a filling homemade meatball soup with plenty of vegetables.

What should I serve with Italian meatball soup?

This is filling enough that you don’t really need much alongside it.

I like a little grated Parmesan over the top just before serving. It adds a salty, savoury finish without needing to put cheese into the entire slow cooker.

If you’re particularly hungry, some crusty bread or garlic bread would be lovely for soaking up the tomato broth.

Otherwise, I’d just serve a generous bowl on its own. You’ve already got meat, pasta, spinach and plenty of vegetables in there, so there’s no need to turn a simple slow cooker dinner into a three-course event!

Can I freeze Italian meatball soup?

You can freeze leftovers, although the pasta will usually become softer after being frozen and reheated.

If you’re deliberately making a batch for the freezer rather than simply freezing leftovers, another option is to freeze the meatball and vegetable soup before adding the pasta, then cook fresh pasta when you reheat it.

That gives you a better pasta texture and also means you can adjust the amount of liquid when you serve it.

If you’re simply saving leftovers from dinner, I wouldn’t worry too much. Freeze what you’ve got rather than wasting it and accept that the pasta may be a little softer next time.

Cool leftovers appropriately, store them in the fridge or freezer and reheat them thoroughly before eating.

For current advice about cooling, storing and reheating food safely, check the Food Standards Agency guidance.

More slow cooker recipes to try

If it’s the meatballs that tempted you here, try my slow cooker Moroccan lamb meatballs next. They’re completely different, with warming spices, apricots and sultanas rather than Italian tomato flavours.

For another comforting slow cooker dinner, my spaghetti Bolognese is an easy family option, while my beef and root vegetable stew is lovely when you want something properly warming.

You can also browse all my slow cooker recipes or have a look through my soup recipes for more ideas.

And if you’re reading this because autumn has arrived and suddenly soup sounds appealing again, I’ve also collected together my favourite autumn slow cooker recipes.

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