Italian Meatballs & Gnocchi Soup

Meat – a combination of ground beef and group pork will make the best juicy meatballs. You can use lean ground beef like 90/10, but it tends to be chewier due to the lack of fat. I prefer to use 85/15 or even 80/20 ground beef for juicier and tastier beef.

Garlic – Fresh garlic will yield MUCH better flavor than pre-minced.

Beef Broth – beef stock is best for deeper, richer flavor, but if you need to, you can substitute vegetable broth if needed. When using store-bought broths and stock, try to get “low sodium” or “no salt added” kind. Try to also get bone broth if available, it will have a richer flavor.

Parmesan Cheese – you will need freshly grated parmesan cheese for the BEST results. It has the best potent flavor and melts better. If you don’t have the time to grate it yourself, some deli sections of the grocery store will have freshly grated parmesan cheese available. For the best tasting soup, save the rind of the parmesan block and cook it with the soup.

Seasonings – you will need dried herbs like parsley, basil and oregano. You will also need salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. The spice level is easy to adjust by using more or less crushed red pepper flakes. To make the soup more spicy, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Gnocchi – you can use homemade gnocchi or store-bought gnocchi. If using store-bought, I highly recommend that you get them from the refrigerated section!

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

First, make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for meatballs and mix until all evenly incorporated (1). Use a cookie scoop to make meatballs that are about or slightly smaller than 1 inch in diameter. Set them aside on a parchment paper covered cutting board (2).

PRO TIP: I usually use a #40 or #50 cookie scoop. If you don’t have one, use a spoon and try to keep the meatballs as equal size as you can.

Preheat a large Dutch oven and add olive oil. Sear meatballs a few at a time, don’t overcrowd the pan, until golden on the outside (3). Take seared meatballs out of the pan and set them aside.

Add onions and carrots (4) to the same pot and sear until softened. Stir in tomatoes and cook until softened as well. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (5). Then, pour in water (6) and scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir. Stir in tomato paste and whisk it until incorporated (7).

Slowly pour in beef stock (8) and raise heat to medium-high. Add back the seared meatballs and seasoning (9). (Make sure to add the juices that ran off the meatballs as well!)! Bring it to a low boil and lower the heat down to medium-low.

Add in the parmesan rind (10) and let the soup cook for about 25-30 minutes. Make sure stir from time to time.

Stir in grated parmesan cheese and gnocchi (11) and cook just until gnocchi is done (12). (Gnocchi is usually cooked in 4-5 minutes.)

Once soup is done, find and discard the cooked parmesan rind.

Storing Recommendation

Store the leftover Italian meatball and gnocchi soup right in the Dutch oven you cooked it in or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. Make sure to COOL the soup to room temperature first and cover the pot with the lid if using the same pot.

Stored properly, this soup should be good for about 3-4 days.

You can reheat the individual portions in the microwave. If you need to reheat a lot at the same time, do it on stovetop in the Dutch oven over medium heat until warmed through.

Gnocchi notes: please note that gnocchi will start to get mushy when stored in liquid. If you plan to store most of the soup. I recommend that you cook gnocchi separately in a flavored broth and add it to the individual portions of soup.

Freezing Recommendation

You can easily freeze this soup just without gnocchi!

While gnocchi good to freeze, it does not freeze well in liquids or sauce. If you made homemade gnocchi for the soup, freeze them separately and uncooked.

Line large cutting boards with parchment paper and spread a little bit of flour all over the bottom. Spread out uncooked gnocchi in one even layer (don’t crowd them) and freeze for about an hour or two. (Set a time so you don’t forget.) Once completely frozen, portion them into a freezer friendly, zip-lock bag.

To freeze the soup, cook it up to the step of adding grated parmesan cheese and gnocchi. Take the soup off heat and cool it to room temperature. It’s best to cool it as fast as possible so set the pot into a roasting pan, add ice to the roasting pan, and stir the soup from time to time. Ice will help cool the soup faster from the outside.

Once cooled, transfer the soup into a large freezer container with air-tight lid. Close it air-tight and wrap into a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection. Label and freeze for up to 2-3 months.

Thaw the soup slowly in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. No need to thaw gnocchi before adding to the soup when reheating, simply add frozen gnocchi and cook until cooked through.

Recipe FAQs

More Soup Recipes To Try

• Homemade Gnocchi
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Chicken Meatball Soup with Orzo
• Beef and Vegetable Soup