Mini Italian meatball soup is a family friendly recipe that kids love! This easy dish is gluten free, dairy free, and allergy friendly.
Well, how is everyone doing this winter? Are you experiencing the record low temps that we are here in the mitten state? I’ll be honest, these extra cold days are a little bit rough. It’s easy enough to get cabin fever in normal winter weather, but when it is so cold that you absolutely cannot go outside, that makes the cabin fever even worse. I don’t love being outdoors in the winter, but I will bundle us up on the sunny days and get outside to grab some sunshine. It makes everyone feel better!
But we are doing the best we can here, opening all the curtains and blinds so that the house feels bright and sunny, doing Valentine’s crafts (more on that later), and making warm and tasty soups. I’m a big soup person, and if I have a pot of soup on the stove, and hot chocolate in my mug, winter doesn’t seem too awful after all.
I thought it would be fun to make a mini Italian meatball soup – suspecting that my older son would be thrilled with tiny meatballs in his bowl. And he was, Â I was right. There’s just something fun about mini food, isn’t there? :) This soup has a ton of flavor, thanks to the pork, marinara sauce, and the spices, and the beans and pasta make it a really filling meal.
Sometimes you can get loose Italian pork sausage at Whole Foods or elsewhere at the butcher counter, but if not, just get the links and then remove the casings.
Any type of gluten free pasta would work in this Italian meatball soup, we used macaroni this time, but penne would work, or even rice if you are out of pasta. That’s what I love about making soup, you really can’t mess it up!
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Mini Italian Meatball Soup
Full of flavor, this mini Italian meatball soup is family friendly comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian pork sausage
- 1/2 slice gluten free bread crumbled
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 15 ounces Cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups cooked gluten free pasta
- 2 small zucchini diced
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup marinara sauce
Instructions
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If the sausage has casings, remove them, and place loose sausage in a bowl. Add breadcrumbs and combine. Make the meatballs, rolling them into small balls, about one inch in diameter.
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In a large pan, saute the onion in the olive oil until it softens, about 5 minutes.
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Add the chicken broth, beans, meatballs, and marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
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Simmer until meatballs are done, about 20 minutes. Add the macaroni, zucchini, and spices. Cook until the zucchini are tender, about 5 more minutes.
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Serve with bread or crackers and a salad for an easy lunch or dinner.
This mini Italian meatball soup is:
- gluten free and dairy free
- perfect for a winter lunch
- kid friendly and delicious
What soup are you eating these days?
Follow along:
Delicious recipe!
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 :)
Awesome, I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know!
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!?
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!
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!
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!
No! Feel better, lady! Colds are such a bummer. Drink lots of fluids and get some rest. :)