Keto Meatball Soup {Whole30 & Paleo}

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This Keto Meatball Soup is easy to prepare, hearty, and loaded with fresh veggies and flavor. Best of all, the meatballs can be made ahead of time and it freezes nicely. 

Keto Meatball Soup {#Paleo #Keto #Whole30 #LowCarb #GlutenFree #Whole30}

Since it’s getting warmer outside I know most people are getting out of the mood for soup but I promise, this soup is good no matter what the weather!

It’s easy to prepare, hearty, and loaded with fresh veggies and flavor.  And if you’re short on time, the keto meatballs can be made ahead of time or even frozen.

 

keto meatball soup instructions:

mixing ingredients in food procesor
Meatballs:

For the meatballs, I’ve added some sneaky veggies. I add an onion, 2 handfuls of spinach, and 3 cloves of garlic to a food processor and process until everything is in very small pieces.

 

Meatball Soup - Meatballs in baking pan

Then, I add the spinach/onion mixture to a large bowl along with 2 lbs. beef, sea salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, and parsley and mix everything together. Then I roll the mixture into meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. The meatballs are also great on their own, as a snack, in lunchboxes, or with lots of dishes!!!

 

Keto Soup:

While the meatballs are cooking, I make the soup.

 

Soup simmering before meatballs are added

For the soup I saute carrots, onion, celery, and garlic in a heavy-bottomed pot. Then I add basil, oregano, thyme, tomato paste, a bay leaf, chopped zucchini, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. I let that simmer about 20 minutes to infuse all that yummy flavor.

When it’s done simmering I add some balsamic vinegar for nice depth of flavor, salt, pepper, and the meatballs. Then it’s ready to eat!!! And whatever is leftover (if there is any) can be stored in the fridge or it also freezes nicely.

 

Looking for more Whole30 & Keto Dinner Recipes? Check these out!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Lasagna Soup

Healthful Pursuit’s Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats

 

…Or if you’re looking for Keto desserts check out my

No-Bake Brownie Bites and Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Overhead shot of meatball soup in pot

Paleo & Keto Meatball Soup

This keto meatball soup is easy to prepare, hearty, and loaded with fresh veggies and flavor. Best of all, the meatballs can be made ahead of time and it freezes nicely. 
5 from 9 votes
Print Rate
Course: gluten free, keto, Main Course, paleo, whole30
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto dinner, keto meatball soup, keto meatballs, keto soup, meatball soup, paleo dinner, paleo meatballs, paleo soup
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 323kcal
Author: Cassidy

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Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • 2 Lb. Ground Beef
  • 2 Handfuls Fresh Spinach
  • 1 Small Onion
  • 3 Cloves Garlic
  • 3/4 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Ground Pepper
  • 2 tsp. Italian Seasonings
  • 2 Tbsp. Parsley

Soup:

  • 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil or oil of choice
  • 1 Small Onion diced
  • 2 Cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 Medium Carrot Peeled and Diced
  • 1 Stalk of Celery Chopped
  • 2 tsp. Dried Basil
  • 1 tsp. Oregano
  • 3/4 tsp. Thyme
  • 1 32 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes
  • 3 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 32- oz. Low Sodium Beef or Chicken Broth
  • 1 Medium Zucchini - Chopped into Halves or Quarters
  • 1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
  • Salt to taste (at least 1/2 tsp.)
  • Pepper to taste (at least 1/4 tsp.)

Instructions

For the meatballs:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x11 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, add the spinach, garlic, and onion. Then process until everything is in very small pieces. Add the spinach/onion mixture to a large mixing bowl along with the ground beef, sea salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, and Parsley. Mix well.
  • Roll into meatballs and place into prepared baking dish.
  • Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until cooked through.

For the soup:

  • Add the oil to large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven and heat over medium heat.
  • Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Saute until veggies are slightly soft, around 4 minutes.
  • Add the basil, oregano, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, chicken or beef broth, and zucchini.
  • Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes.
  • Add salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Taste soup, if it tastes flat, it needs more salt.
  • Add the meatballs to the soup and serve!
Tried this recipe?Mention @CassidysCraveableCreations or tag #CassidysCraveableCreations!

Notes

To make this lower-carb, omit the carrot, zucchini, and reduce the onion to 1/2. This will make one serving have 7 net carbs.
Nutrition Facts
Paleo & Keto Meatball Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 323 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 689mg 29%
Potassium 1059mg 30%
Total Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 5g
Protein 25g 50%
Vitamin A 39.3%
Vitamin C 30.7%
Calcium 13.8%
Iron 33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is approximate and may vary.

pin keto meaball soup for later:

Keto Meatball Soup Pinnable Image

Posted May 7, 2018 by Cassidy in Egg Free, Keto, Nut Free, Paleo, Soups, Whats For Dinner?, Whole30 / 69 Comments

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69 responses to “Keto Meatball Soup {Whole30 & Paleo}”

  2. Dottie Wilkes

    The most flavorful tasting soup. I made tiny 4 oz meatballs which I browned in fry pan first. We like spice so I added extra garlic, salt and celery flakes, onion powder and pepper. Absolutely delicious.

    Reply
  6. Lucinda

    My family loves this recipe! It is delicious and I have used the meatball recipe for other things also. I was wondering if there was a way to do the whole thing in the instant pot? If so, do you have directions or guidelines for that? Thanks for the delicious recipe.

    Reply
    • Cassidy

      Hi Licinda!Thank you, I’m happy you like it! I’m sure it could be made in the Instant Pot, but I don’t have directions for it yet. I’m going to try to get Instant Pot directions soon though, sorry!

      -Cassidy

      Reply
  7. daprncs

    5 Stars all the way!!!!!!!!Thanks so much for sharing. Mama Mia this soup is fantastic! Very filling & satisfying. I grew up with Italian Grandparents. Whenever Nanny would make zuppa (soup) she always sprinkled a small amount of Parmesan on top . I did the same & highly recommend! I love the texture that baking the meatballs first versus putting them in the soup raw makes. I made them big…thinking next time I might make mini meatballs….we’ll see. Thanks Again for an awesome recipe.

    Reply
    • Cassidy

      Hi Remate!

      I don’t see why it couldn’t be made in the crock pot, but without trying for myself I can’t give you temperature or cooking times. I’ll have test it and get back with you! If you give it a try be sure to come back and tell me how it turned out!!!

      -Cassidy

      Reply
  9. Deonna

    I love this soup! You can make it in an instant pot too and it comes out great! Just do the soup in the instant pot and meatballs in oven. My picky child with autism loves it too! Fabulous!

    Reply
  11. Melony

    Just made this tonight, and it was wonderful! I are a bowl, and had a hard time not going back for a second bowl. It’s so full of flavor! Thanks for the recipe, this is going into my regular rotation of winter soups to make.

    Reply
  12. Debbie

    Where is all the sugar coming from? The carrots? I am starting Keto, and I have been told NO sugar. This recipe looks really good but I can’t eat unless I know where the sugar is coming from and maybe I could change the recipe to fit Keto. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Cassidy

      Hi debbie, the majority of the carbs are coming from the carrots, onions, zucchini, and tomatoes. Pretty much everything has carbs except fat, eggs, and some meats – even spices have carbs! I have notes right under the recipe though that will reduce the net carbs to 7 per serving – and the servings are quite large!!! Sorry I can’t get it down to 0, but I hope this at least helps!

      -Cassidy

      Reply
  13. Barbara Roe

    Loved the soup. Next time I will add one more zucchini, a small handful of cabbage and /or spinach. My dog loved the extra broth from my bowl.

    Reply
  15. Mel

    Thank You for the recipe. It came out delicious. Tho the meatballs came out dry. I did make them about 2″ and cooked them for 45 min. Should i have cooked them for 35min?

    Reply
  17. Tonya

    I tried the frozen meatball approach and it was ok but I really do think making your own would be even more flavorful. I also added In a small can of diced tomatoes with jalapeños for some kick

    Reply
  21. Rebecca

    Would you be able to drop the meatballs in the soup when it reaches a boil and cook them that way instead of the oven?

    Reply
  22. Kortney

    Meatball soup has become one of my favourite go to meals. I love that you add vinegar to it – I have started to do this lately to add an extra depth of flavour.

    Reply
  26. Victoria


    I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and it was still yummy. I already made more meatballs ready to freeze so I can quickly make it again. Thank you so much for this recipe!

    Reply
  28. Diana

    My granddaughter won’t eat veggies so I used this recipe to trick and…WIN for MiMi!! I used pork and added carrots to the meatballs and then added cabbage to the soup part for my daughter and me! So Yum!!
    Thanks so much!

    Reply
  30. marie b.

    This looks amazing! I make quite a lot of soup during the fall & winter months. Ok, here’s a silly question, to save time, could you thaw a package of frozen meatballs and use them??

    Reply
    • Cassidy

      Hi Marie B, That’s not a silly question at all! I don’t see why you couldn’t use frozen meatballs, but without trying it I can’t say for sure. I just usually prefer to make my own so I can control the ingredients 🙂

      Reply
  31. April C.


    This is amazing! Even my picky hubby was asking when I’m making it again after it was gone (in one day I might add 😉 )

    Reply
  32. Carol


    I really liked this soup. I added just a little more seasoning to the broth, including red pepper flakes, because I like spice. The balsamic vinegar added just a tiny touch of sweetness. I’ll definitely be making it again, and passed the recipe on to my daughter to try. My grandson is allergic to egg and dairy, so this is perfect!

    Reply
    • Cassidy

      Thanks so much Carol, I’m happy you liked it!!! We don’t like much spice so none of my recipes are very spicy – I’m glad you added some red pepper flakes to make it turn out more spicy like you like it!
      -Cassidy

      Reply
    • Cassidy

      Yeah, I feel great feeding this to my family because it’s so packed full of veggies and I always have leftovers for the week or to freeze for later 🙂

      Reply
  34. Nicole


    I made this tonight for dinner and it’s AMAZING! I made the meatballs smaller but everything else the same. So good. Thank you

    Reply
  35. Stacie T

    Looks yummy. I tend to overcook meat, so I was wondering how large the meatballs are. I can’t tell from the photo of the soup. Are they 1-2″ across or minis that are 1/2-1″? It will make a big difference in cook time.

    Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Cassidy

      Hi Stacie, I made them fairly big – around 2″. But you could make them a bit smaller and reduce the cooking time if needed 🙂

      Reply
  37. Veronica

    This looks delicious. Are all the herbs dried or just the basil? How many servings does it yield?

    Reply
      • Veronica

        Thank you for replying so quickly. I can’t wait to make this. I’ll let you know what my family thinks ?

    • Cassidy

      Hi Patricia, I thought I had answered your question when you very first posted it but now I don’t see it, I’m SO sorry!!! This makes between 35 -40 meatballs depending on how large you make them 🙂

      -Cassidy

      Reply

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