This delicious and hearty meatball soup with tortellini is full of flavour and so quick to prepare using ready made tortellini and chicken meatballs!
Can’t get enough of this goodness? Take a look at another Italian inspired dish Italian Wedding Soup. It also features meatballs and pasta but has a very different flavour!
My favourite soup growing up was this Russian Frikadeller (Meatball) Soup and I have never grown out of my love for meatballs. I am pretty sure the feeling is shared by most adults and kids if my own is any indication.
There has never been a complaint when meatballs are on the menu! This soup is no exception. While my children are not too thrilled to eat soups for dinner, this one is somehow different. And I think I know why.
Well-seasoned and juicy chicken meatballs as well as spinach ricotta tortellini are floating in a tasty broth, flavoured with tomatoes and basil. A soup like this is very hard to resist!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- The flavour of this soup heavily relies on prepared ingredients like chicken meatballs and tortellini, so make sure to purchase good quality products for the best taste.
- I chose chicken meatballs because that is what I had in my freezer. Feel free to use beef meatballs if that is your preference. No need to defrost them before putting in the soup. They cook from frozen!
- You can absolutely make your own meatballs. This recipe is my favourite.
- Another clever shortcut is using sausages for your meatballs like I did in my Meatball Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta.
- I always advocate for fresh herbs to create vibrant flavours. However fresh basil is not essential here. Dried herbs will work just as well.
- Spinach ricotta tortellini is what I often buy and what I used in this recipe. However, almost any filling would work. I want to try mushroom tortellini next. Just avoid meat, so you don’t double up.
- Finally, spinach will be a good substitute for kale here. Make this soup your own!
Serving Suggestions
This soup is so satisfying you won’t feel hungry afterwards. Adding a slice of crusty sourdough bread or fluffy garlic butter rolls is all you will need for a hearty meal.
Sprinkle the soup with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese before serving for an extra savoury taste. And if you really want to impress your family or guests, make our Bacon and Cheese Turnovers to serve on the side of this soup.
Let’s take a trip around the world through these meatball recipes:
- Porcupine Meatballs in Creamy Tomato Sauce
- Bucatini and Meatballs
- Baked Meatballs with Mozzarella and Arugula
- Swedish Meatballs in Cream Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs in Pomegranate Sauce
- Indian Meatball Curry
Chicken Meatball Soup with Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot
- ½ onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 400g/14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
- 4-5 basil leaves or ½ tsp dried basil
- salt to taste
- 1 litre/4 cups chicken stock
- 300g/10 oz frozen chicken meatballs or beef meatballs
- 300g/10 oz tortellini I used spinach ricotta tortellini
- 50g/ 1 ½ cups kale or spinach
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, then sauté the chopped onion, sliced carrot and celery for 5 minutes over low heat, then add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the canned chopped tomatoes, sliced fresh basil or dried basil and mix, then let the vegetables cook for 5-7 minutes. We are looking for the tomatoes to cook down and for the flavors to blend.
- Next add the meatballs (could be frozen) and chicken stock with a pinch of salt, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes if meatballs are cooked from frozen and 15 minutes if defrosted.
- Then add tortellini and chopped kale and cook for 3 minutes longer. Increase the timing to 5 minutes if tortellini is frozen.
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