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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Tips For Perfect Soup
- If you would like to reduce the carb count, omit the carrot, zucchini, and reduce the onion to 1/2. This will make each serving have 7 net carbs.
- Don’t skip the balsamic vinegar! The balsamic vinegar is my secret ingredient. It adds a depth of flavor and tart sweetness you don’t want to miss!
- The soup can be made ahead of time and frozen in individual containers to eat later.
Looking for more Whole30 & Keto Dinner Recipes? Check out my Chicken Pot Pie Soup, Lasagna Soup and Healthful Pursuit’s Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats
If you’ve tried the Meatball Soup or any other recipe on the blog please let me know in the comments below!
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Paleo & Keto Meatball Soup
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!
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.
- Each serving is a about 2 ladles of soup - approximately 1 heaping Cup.
- Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer up to 3 months.
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary.
Hi! Can you use bone broth?
Yes, you can use bone broth instead of chicken broth!
Could you use frozen meatballs?
While I haven’t tried it, I don’t see why not! If you try it with frozen meatballs please come back and let me know how it went 🙂
-Cassidy
I made this with the addition of radish. I didn’t use so much onion or carrot and added cilantro, lime, and uncooked radish to the bowl. Only one word for this recipe….wow wow wow! The broth was ahhhhmazing. The balsamic adds just a bit of zing to the tomato base. This is a great soup and it is now in my weekly meals. Thank you!
yep- this is a good one! Made this morning and my 13 year old even gobbled it up for lunch! I accidentally cought crushed tomatoes and it was like tomato sauce but just added a bit more chicken stock and it was perfect!
I bet this could be done with ground chicken (which I prefer over gr. turkey) for the meatballs to lower the calories and the sodium.
Hi I was looking for a low carb soup and I came across this post on Pinterest! In the recipe it says that it makes 8 servings. What are you using as a serving size?
Hi Ana! While I haven’t measured it exactly, I think it’s one very large bowl 🙂 Next time I make this I’ll divide it into 8 servings, measure it properly, and come back with an update!!! Sorry I don’t have an exact answer.
-Cassidy
Hi! Im an amateur cook. This recepie looks so good and i cant wait to try it! But sadly i dont have an oven, do you think it will taste the same if i fry the meatballs instead? Will they fall apart?
Hi Alicia!
Yes, you could try frying them but you may have trouble getting them to cook all the way through. I would recommend browning them on the stove, then adding them to the soup to finish cooking. After browning, let them simmer in the soup for approximately (not sure exactly how long!) 20 to 25 minutes or until they’re cooked through. If the meatballs seem like they might fall apart, you can place them on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer for 10 or so minutes before browning. I hope this helps!!! Please let me know how it turns out!!! For more precise instructions, you can visit my Spaghetti & Meatballs Recipe, it’s the same method I used for that recipe 🙂
Hope that helps!
-Cassidy
Hi Cassidy….this recipe looks delicious….what size do you recommend for meatballs? Seems like a lot of meat to put in 9 x 11 pan…do you stack the meatballs?
Hi Gwen! I usually make mine roughly between 1 to 1 1/2 inches around, and yes I do slightly stack the meatballs towards the edge of the pan cause it is quite a bit, lol!
-Cassidy
Do you need to add any eggs to the ground beef mixture to hold the meatballs together?
No, they hold together fine without eggs 🙂
-Cassidy
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.
Wonderful I could eat it everyday!
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.
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
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.
Can this be made in a Crock-Pot?
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
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!
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.
Thank Melony!!! You have more will power than me, I usually can’t help myself and end up getting 2 bowls ?
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.
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
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.
I’m glad you and your dog liked it! Adding cabbage or spinach is a good idea, I’ll have to try that next time – thanks!
-Cassidy
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?
Hi Mel! I’m sorry the meatballs turned out dry. And yes, I think reducing the cooking time a little bit next time should help!
-Cassidy
Just made your Meatball soup and loved it