Italian Meatballs & Gnocchi Soup

Unbelievably delicious and comforting Italian Meatballs Gnocchi Soup. This tomato based soup is made with flavorful and juicy Italian meatballs and delicate, pillowy gnocchi. It is a spicy soup but you can always adjust the spice as needed!

As much as I love my Homemade Gnocchi, I know that not everyone has the time to make them from scratch. So feel free to use store-bought gnocchi. If you have a favorite brand that you use, that stands out over the rest, please leave me a comment telling me what it is. I’d like to know which one is the best for the times when I don’t have any stashed in the freezer.

This gnocchi soup turned out amazing! I’ve been a little obsessed with making soups with meatballs in them. (As you probably noticed.) It always looks nice, I love the added flavors from cooking meatballs first and you get perfect, neat little portions of meat in every bowl.

This soup is also tomato based, which is not something you’re probably used to seeing. But trust me…this is the bomb!! Spicy tomato broth is just perfect to tie meatballs and gnocchi together in the big bowl of “happy!” I could sip this broth with a straw all day long.

Ingredient Notes and Tips

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.

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.

Adjusting spice level – adjust by using more or less crushed red pepper flakes. To make the soup more spicy, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Remember that cayenne pepper can be quite spicy so add a little at a time and taste in between.

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! They are much more fresh and made with less preservatives. You can also use frozen gnocchi if you have some already. No need to thaw, simply add it to the soup and cook until cooked through.

How To Make This Soup Gluten Free?

If you’re gluten free, you can still enjoy this comforting soup!

• In the meatballs, make sure to use gluten free bread crumbs.
• In the soup, make sure to use gluten free gnocchi. You can either make your own gnocchi and use gluten free all purpose flour or buy gluten free gnocchi at the grocery store.
• Remaining ingredient should already be gluten free but double check the packaging just to make sure.

Variations to Try

Pasta – You can use any pasta instead of gnocchi you like but I recommend sticking to small shaped pasta, like like pastina, ditalini, stellini, anellini, orzo, macaroni, or any other available.

Meatballs – you can use ground turkey or ground chicken to make the turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs. I recommend that you use “lean” ground turkey and not “extra lean.” You need a little fat in the ground meat to make it juicy, otherwise the meatballs will be on a dry side, even in a soup. TIP: use chicken broth for the soup if using different meat.

How to make Italian Meatballs Gnocchi Soup

First, make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for meatballs and mix until all evenly incorporated. 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.

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. Take seared meatballs out of the pan and set them aside.

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

Slowly pour in beef stock and raise heat to medium-high. Add back the seared meatballs and seasoning. (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 and let the soup cook for about 25-30 minutes. Make sure stir from time to time.

Stir in grated parmesan cheese and gnocchi and cook just until gnocchi is done. (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 and store for 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.

Will gnocchi be okay stored in liquid?

Store-bought gnocchi does hold up to being stored in the soup. It will get softer thought. If you don’t mind, store them together. If you don’t want the gnocchi to get softer, 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!

To Freeze Gnocchi:

1. Arrange uncooked gnocchi in a single layer on a floured, parchment-lined tray.
2. Flash-freeze for 1-2 hours until solid.
3. Transfer the frozen gnocchi to a freezer-safe bag.

To Freeze Soup:

1. Cook the soup, but do not add the gnocchi or Parmesan cheese.
2. Cool the soup rapidly (using an ice bath helps) to room temperature.
3. Pour into a labeled, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat:

1. Thaw the soup in the refrigerator (up to 24 hours).
2. As the soup reheats on the stove, add the gnocchi directly from the freezer (no need to thaw) and cook until done.

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More Soup Recipes To Try

• Homemade Gnocchi
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
• Chicken Meatball Soup with Orzo
• Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe

Try more comforting meatballs soups like Italian Wedding Soup and Chicken Meatball Soup.

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in September 2014.