Delicious Dairy Free Italian Meatball Soup

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

1. Mix the ground pork, seasonings, and bread crumbs. Roll into small balls.
2. In a large pot, cook the onion in the olive oil until it softens, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the broth, beans, meatballs, and marinara sauce. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. 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

• Homemade Gluten Free Crackers
• Green Onion Garlic Butter
• Vegan Breadsticks

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Delicious Dairy Free Italian Meatball Soup.

This meatball soup is full of flavor and color. This is a great soup to make on a cold winter day!

Course Soup

Cuisine Dairy Free, gluten free, Italian

Keyword easy, restaurant style

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 481 kcal

Author Kelly Roenicke

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
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 ½ cups marinara sauce

Instructions

1. 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.

2. In a large pot, saute the onion in the olive oil until it softens, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the chicken broth, beans, meatballs, and marinara sauce to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

4. 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.

5. Serve with bread, gluten free crackers, or a salad.

Recipe Notes

If you have a brand of Italian sausage you like, you can use that instead.

Feel free to use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of pork if you wish.

You can use any pasta that’s safe for your dietary needs.

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to 4 days.

Nutrition Facts

Delicious Dairy Free Italian Meatball Soup.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 481 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 55mg18%

Sodium 961mg42%

Potassium 877mg25%

Carbohydrates 56g19%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 610IU12%

Vitamin C 28mg34%

Calcium 98mg10%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post was originally published in January 2014. It has been updated.