Creamy Tomato Meatball Soup
This Creamy Meatball Soup with tomatoes and pearl couscous is simple but feels like a cozy Sunday supper your grandmother might have simmered all day. It’s got tender veggies, plenty of Italian herbs, and just a splash of cream. Best of all, everything cooks in one pot in about 30 minutes.
This soup came about because after discovering the joy of adding pearl couscous to a Crockpot soup, I became more or less obsessed with tossing it into other soups and stews. I’m a big fan of adding tortellini, egg noodles, orzo, or other pastas to soups when it means you don’t need to cook the pasta separately. Pearl couscous follows all the same principles but is just a fun twist.
This soup has tons of cozy flavor, with a rich Italian-flavored tomato broth, hearty miniature meatballs, and lots of veggies simmered inside. But it’s also super simple to make, since everything cooks directly in one pot, and can be on the table in just about 30 minutes start to finish.
Serving Suggestions
We love this soup with a simple green salad or green beans for the kids. Garlic knots, garlic bread, or breadsticks make it a special occasion! The soup is pretty filling, thanks to the protein-packed meatballs, so you don’t need to work too hard to make it a meal.
Ingredient & Substitution Notes
Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need. Find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Carrots and yellow onion. Sweet onion would also be delicious.
- Fresh minced garlic.
- One can diced tomatoes. You want a small can, usually 14 or 15 ounces, and will include all of the juices. I like to use fire-roasted diced tomatoes for extra flavor, but these aren’t always widely available, and it’s just a little plus.
- Tomato paste. This adds depth of flavor to the tomato soup base, but is not absolutely critical. I’d skip it rather than make a special trip to the store.
- Chicken broth. Use the best quality broth you can; this is the base of the soup, after all! Preferably low-sodium, as you can always add more salt but can’t take it away.
- Frozen mini Italian meatballs. No surprise, our favorites are the “party” meatballs from Trader Joe’s.
- Pearl couscous. Substitute orzo, acini di pepe, ditalini, or another small pasta shape if you like.
- Dried Italian seasoning and salt.
- Baby spinach. Leave it out if you’re not a big fan of the texture of greens in soup.
- Cream. A little goes a long way to enrich this broth – I promise the soup is still not heavy or gloppy at all. Use heavy or light cream; half and half does work as well.
- Olive oil.
- Parmesan and black pepper for sprinkling generously on top of individual bowls.
What is pearl couscous?
Pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, giant couscous, or ptitim, is a type of small, round pasta made of semolina flour and water. You can typically find it on shelves near the rice and other grains.
As you might expect, it’s larger than regular couscous, with a slightly chewy texture. Much like its smaller cousin, pearl couscous cooks quickly in water or broth-soups like this one. We also love it in this slow cooker white bean Parmesan soup.
Can I make this without cream?
Yes! If you prefer a lighter soup, simply leave out the cream and you will have all the same flavors in a broth-y Italian tomato soup.
What can I substitute for Italian seasoning?
Italian seasoning typically includes dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, and a smaller amount of dried thyme and dried marjoram. Variations may also include Mediterranean spices and herbs like dried sage, fennel seeds, garlic powder, or crushed red pepper flakes. If you don’t have this blend on hand, substitute a scant 1/2 teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, and rosemary. Add a pinch of dried thyme if you like.
How To Make Creamy Meatball Soup
This is a general overview. See the full print-friendly recipe card below for details as you cook.
- Make the base of the soup. Sauté carrots and onion briefly so they start to become tender, then add garlic, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, Italian herbs and salt. Let this cook momentarily to develop the flavors.
- Add broth and bring to a boil.
- Add in the meatballs, let those cook for about 4 minutes, then add in the pearl couscous and cook until tender. The lid should be on the pot for both of these steps.
- Stir in cream and baby spinach.
- Ladle it up and enjoy! Grated Parmesan cheese and fresh cracked-black pepper are the perfect finishing touches.
Tips, Tricks, & Variations
- Use a large enough pot. You do not want to get halfway through and realize your pot is not big enough to hold all the ingredients! A 6-quart Dutch oven does the job perfectly.
- Substitute or add more vegetables. If you want to further boost the nutritional content of this soup, or just want to clean out the fridge, toss in some chopped bell pepper, squash, zucchini, corn, or peas. Peppers or squash of any kind should be added with carrots and onion in the first step, so they have time to soften. Stir in corn or peas when the pearl couscous is 1-2 minutes away from being tender, so they just warm through..
- Change up the greens. Leave out the spinach if it’s not your thing in soups (some people do not like the texture) or substitute with kale or Swiss chard.
- Use tortellini instead of pearl couscous for a heartier soup, or use orzo, ditalini, or another small pasta shape.
- Prefer Italian sausage to meatballs? Brown a few crumbles of sausage in the pot along with the onion and skip the meatballs. In this case, you can proceed directly to adding the couscous and skip the 4 minute simmer in step 2.
Storage & Reheating
- Storage: Leftovers of this creamy meatball soup can keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, but keep in mind that the pearl couscous will absorb more liquid as it sits. If you are making a big batch intentionally to enjoy over time, you can consider cooking the pearl couscous separately and storing it in its own airtight container, also in the refrigerator, then adding couscous to individual portions of soup as you eat them.
- To Reheat: Reheat large quantities over medium heat in a saucepan, or small quantities in the microwave, stirring in between 45-60 second intervals.
- Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing this soup but suspect the texture would not be quite right after thawing and reheating.
Related Recipes
Love a great cozy soup? This Crockpot white bean and Parmesan soup, creamy tomato tortellini, lemon white bean and spinach, and chicken noodle soup with egg noodles are some of our favorites. And when my kids are under the weather the first thing I always make is chicken tortellini soup!
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Creamy Tomato Meatball Soup with Pearl Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 medium carrots peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups frozen mini meatballs
- 1/2 cup pearl couscous
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3-4 cups fresh baby spinach loosely packed
- Parmesan and black pepper for serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and onion, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for about 1 minute more. Quickly stir in the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt.1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 medium carrots, 1/2 medium yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Add the broth, increase heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add meatballs and cover the pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 4 minutes.4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 2 cups frozen mini meatballs
- Stir in the pearl couscous and reduce heat further to medium-low. Re-cover the pot and cook for about 8 minutes, just until couscous is tender.1/2 cup pearl couscous
- Remove the lid, then stir in the cream and baby spinach. Sample and season with extra salt to taste.3-4 cups fresh baby spinach, 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Serve right away with plenty of grated Parmesan and fresh-cracked black pepper for extra flavor. Enjoy!Parmesan and black pepper
Notes
- Storage: Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, but keep in mind that the pearl couscous will absorb more liquid as it sits. If you are making a big batch intentionally to enjoy over time, consider cooking the pearl couscous separately and storing it in its own airtight container, also in the refrigerator, then adding couscous to individual portions of soup as you eat them.
- Reheating: Warm large quantities over medium heat in a saucepan, or small quantities in the microwave, stirring in between 45-60 second intervals.
