Chicken Noodle Soup with Meatballs

Chicken noodle soup with meatballs is the ultimate comfort food!  Tiny pork and beef meatballs are simmered in a soul-nourishing broth with chicken meat, carrots, onion, and celery;  farfalline pasta, fresh parsley, and Pecorino Romano are added at the end.   This is the soup to make when you just need to feel right again.

This old-school Italian chicken soup with meatballs is the soup I come back to time and time again.  Especially when one of my kids needs some comforting.

The tiny bow tie pasta, or farfalline, is so nostalgic as this is the pasta shape my grandma would use every time she made this soup.

While the soup is substantial enough to be a meal on its own, it’s also great when paired with a salad, such as a chicken Caesar salad, or this Via Carota-inspired green salad.

And make sure to serve with plenty of crusty Italian bread and Pecorino Romano!

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. In an 8 quart or larger pot, saute 4 diced carrots, 4 diced celery ribs, and 1 diced medium onion in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes to soften.
2. Next add in 3 1/2 quarts of water, 2 cups of low sodium chicken stock, and 2 pounds of skin-on chicken thighs.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. 

3. As the soup cooks, skim off the scum that floats to the top with a large spoon, strainer, or ladle and discard.  Note: Skim the soup every 3-4 minutes or so.  This will help reduce the amount of fat and make a “cleaner” soup.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add 3/4 pound ground chuck, 3/4 pound ground pork, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup minced Italian parsley, 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
5. Mix the ingredients together with your hands to adequately distribute all of the flavors.
6. Form tiny meatballs about a ½ to ¾-inch in diameter.  Top tip:  The best way to roll meatballs easily and mess-free is with a water bowl.  Dip your hands into the water and roll 1-2 meatballs, then dip your hands again.  The meat won’t stick and the process will be much quicker and more efficient.

7. Place the tiny meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and set them aside.
8. After 40 minutes of skimming the scum and fat you will have a mostly clear soup.  Remove the chicken at this point and set it on a cutting board to cool. 
9. Once the chicken thighs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat and discard the bones, cartilage, and skin.  Give the chicken meat a rough chop or shred with a fork.
10. Place the chicken meat into the simmering soup and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.  Taste test the soup, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon of water) to boil.

11. Drop the meatballs a few at a time into the hot soup and continue to cook at a simmer.  The meatballs will cook quickly but can be left simmering while boiling the pasta in the next step.
12. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente.  While the pasta is cooking add a 1/4 cup of fresh Italian parsley to the soup.  Strain the pasta into a colander and serve on the side with the soup.  Place the pasta into bowls and ladle soup and meatballs into each bowl. Serve with extra grated Pecorino. Enjoy!

Note: The pasta can be drizzled with oil to avoid sticking.  This works well if you want to save leftovers.  And speaking of leftovers, if you place the pot of soup in the fridge overnight all of the fat that wasn’t already removed will rise to the top and can easily be discarded or saved for another use the next day.  Don’t fear the fat though.  You 100% do not have to go crazy trying to remove it all during the initial cook.

Top tips for chicken soup with Italian meatballs

• The chicken.  I used chicken thighs for this recipe but any dark meat chicken on the bone would work well.  I’d shy away from using boneless since much of the flavor is derived from the skin and bones.  Because the chicken thighs have their skin and bones, there will be fat and scum build-up at the top.  Skimming this off will yield a clearer soup.
• If you have the time.  Placing the pot of soup (after it cools down for a few hours) into the fridge overnight will yield a more flavorful soup and allow you to remove all of the fat that congeals and rises to the top.  
• The meatballs.  I used a combination of beef chuck and pork for these because I love the flavor.  If you prefer to use turkey meatballs, you can definitely do so.  For an easier meatball-making experience, dip your hands into a water bath or oil them every couple of meatballs.  This will help prevent sticking. I also love making extra meatballs ahead of time and freezing for when I need them.  They’re great in with marinara and pasta, or in macaroni and broccoli!
• The pasta.  I love farfalline for this soup because it’s nostalgic for me personally.  Use whichever small pasta you like though, whether it be ditalin, acini di pepe, miniature shells, or a combination of bottom-of-the-box mini pasta shapes!  I always make the pasta separately and keep it separate.  This allows for people to add as much or as little pasta as they’d like (plus it’s great for leftovers!) and prevents the pasta from becoming too soft.  To prevent it from sticking, simply toss it with a touch of olive oil.

More comforting soup recipes

Soup is so underrated!  I agree with Jerry Seinfeld that soup definitely is a meal!  🙂  Here are a few of my tried and true favorites:

• Italian wedding soup – Similar to this Italian chicken noodle soup, this one combines turkey meatballs, acini di pepe, fresh spinach, and escarole.
• Pasta e fagioli – Pancetta, garlic, rosemary, ditalini pasta and white beans.  
• Broccoli cheddar soup – Broccoli, cheddar, cream, and a touch of nutmeg topped with burnt broccoli.
• Lemon chicken orzo soup – Celery, carrots, and onion with chicken, orzo, lemon and parsley.
• Chicken and wild rice soup – Carrots, celery, chicken, and wild rice in a creamy broth with fresh thyme.
• Tuscan white bean soup – Carrots, celery, onion, pancetta, and roasted garlic with cannellini beans.
• Ribollita – Hearty porridge-like soup made from kale, beans, and day-old bread.

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Chicken Noodle Soup with Meatballs

by James Delmage and Tara

5 from 4 votes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8

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Tiny pork and beef meatballs and chicken thighs are simmered in a broth with carrots, onion, and celery and farfalline pasta, fresh parsley, and Pecorino Romano are added at the end. 

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the tiny meatballs

• ▢ 3/4 pound ground pork
• ▢ 3/4 pound ground beef chuck
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1/4 cup Italian parsley minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• ▢ 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano grated

For the soup

• ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
• ▢ 4 medium carrots chopped
• ▢ 4 large celery ribs, plus leaves chopped
• ▢ 1 medium onion chopped
• ▢ 3 1/2 quarts water
• ▢ 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
• ▢ 2 pounds chicken thighs about 5 or 6 thighs
• ▢ 1/2 pound small pasta farfalline, ditalini, small shells, small noodles, etc
• ▢ 1/4 cup Italian parsley minced
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

• In a large pot saute the carrots, celery, and onion in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes to soften.
• Next add in the water, chicken stock, and chicken thighs. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. As the soup cooks, skim off any scum with a large spoon and discard.
• Meanwhile, mix together all of the meatball ingredients and form tiny meatballs about a 1/2 to 3/4-inch in diameter. Place the tiny meatballs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and set aside.
• Once the chicken starts to look like it will fall apart (about 40 minutes) remove all the pieces to a cutting board and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat and discard the bones, cartilage, and skin. Give the chicken meat a rough chop or shred with a fork.
• Place the chicken meat into the simmering soup and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Taste test the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon of water) to boil. This will be for your pasta.
• Drop the meatballs a few at a time into the hot soup and continue to cook at a simmer. The meatballs will cook quickly but can be left simmering while boiling the pasta in the next step.
• Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. While pasta is cooking add the parsley to the soup. Strain the pasta into a colander and serve on the side with the soup. Place the pasta into bowls and ladle soup and meatballs into each bowl. Serve with extra grated Pecorino. Enjoy!

Notes

• Chicken base or bouillon can be used to amp up the chicken flavor of this quick soup.  
• Recipe will make about 80 dime size meatballs.
• The meatballs can be rolled large to save time.  If doing so, they will take a bit longer to cook in the simmering soup.
• Any type of chicken can be used to make the soup.  Dark meat (thighs, legs, wings) is preferred since it will not overcook like white meat.
• Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.3g | Protein: 56.3g | Fat: 9.3g | Saturated Fat: 3.3g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 623mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 11mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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