A cozy pot of Italian meatball soup is the perfect family friendly recipe to try on a chilly day. Kids and adults love these mini meatballs floating around in a flavorful broth. This easy soup recipe is dairy free and gluten free.

Soup is one of my favorite simple meals. I love a good recipe that you can quickly put together, and then let simmer on the stove, filling your kitchen with a delicious aroma.
There are so many wonderful allergy friendly, dairy free soup recipes to try. We make soup regularly, no matter the weather! Chicken potato soup, lentil soup, and this mini meatball soup are some of our favorite choices.
This meatball soup is pretty simple – just a few ingredients come together to make this delicious meal. We had this recently, and it got gobbled right up!
There’s a lot of flexibility with this recipe – you can change the vegetables if you like, you can use a different meat for the meatballs, you can use a different type of pasta. This is a great recipe to make your own!
Which pasta to use
There are a lot of options for allergy friendly pasta. You can choose the brand that you’re comfortable with. You can find gluten free pastas that are made of rice, corn, chickpeas, and even lentils.
I used Jovial gluten free elbows for this recipe. They do keep their shape very well and the texture is excellent in this soup.
Some other brands to look into are Cybele’s or Ancient Harvest Pasta. Please call and make sure any brand is safe for your particular dietary needs.
Storage and freezing
Store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I haven’t tried freezing this, but in general, freezing soup with pasta in it isn’t a great idea.
The texture of the pasta will not be great if you freeze this and then reheat it. If you did want to freeze this soup, freeze it without adding the pasta. Add freshly cooked pasta to the soup when you’re reheating it for best results.
How to make Italian meatball soup
- Mix the ground pork, seasonings, and bread crumbs. Roll into small balls.
- In a large pot, cook the onion in the olive oil until it softens, about 5 minutes.
- Add the broth, beans, meatballs, and marinara sauce. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta, zucchini, and spices. Cook until the zucchini are tender. Serve with fresh bread or crackers.
Substitutions
- Try different beans – Navy beans or Lima beans would work well
- Add some more veggies – carrots, corn, or green beans
- Use rice or quinoa instead of pasta
- Use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of pork
What to serve with Italian meatball soup
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Recipe
Delicious Dairy Free Italian Meatball Soup.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground pork or ground turkey or chicken
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ slice gluten free bread crumbled
For the soup:
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ red onion diced
- 15 ounces Cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups cooked gluten free pasta Cook according to package
- 2 small zucchini diced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- â…› teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Place the ground pork, spices, and gluten free bread crumbs in a bowl. Use your hands to mix together. Make the meatballs, rolling them into small balls, about ¾ inch in diameter.
- In a large pot, saute the onion in the olive oil until it softens, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, beans, meatballs, and marinara sauce to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Let the soup simmer until meatballs are done, about 20 minutes. Add the cooked gluten free macaroni, zucchini, and spices. Cook until the zucchini are tender, about 5 more minutes.
- Serve with bread, gluten free crackers, or a salad.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January 2014. It has been updated.
kathy
PS For 8 adults and 2 kids how should I adjust the scale for servings? I’d like for them to be able to get 2nd if they want.
kathy
I’m so excited to try this out to see if it would be a good one for when my kids all come home over the holidays for several days. Lots of allergies as I’ve told you before and I think this one will work for everyone. Thanks soooo much.
Katie
Delicious recipe!
Kim
Made this for dinner last night. It was good. I double the recipe for a family of 5 and we have leftovers! Next time, I will combine spicy sausage with mild to give it a little kick :)
Kelly
Awesome, I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know!
kyndale
Your soup looks yummy! I found you when I was googling gluten-free crackers! I’m going to try those too! And your tile looks fabulous. My husband and I are going to tackle our bathroom that has carpet in it. Can you believe it!?
Kelly
Thank you so much! Wow, we did some work in our bathroom recently, too! It’s a lot of work, but so worth it, right? I hope you like the GF crackers!
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron
It has been absolutely FREEZING here lately. This soup sounds like the perfect thing to warm me up and love the idea of mini meatballs!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
I am battling a cold right now, and I’m pretty sure the cold is winning. Picture me surrounded by tissues and sneezing constantly. I could really go for a bowl of this warm soup to soothe my throat!
Kelly @ The Pretty Bee: Cooking + Creating
No! Feel better, lady! Colds are such a bummer. Drink lots of fluids and get some rest. :)