Meatball Soup, Light and Delicious!

This easy mini meatball soup features balls of pork, sage & pine nuts in a golden vegetable-rich broth, it is light, nutritious & delicious!

Meatballs in a Vegetable Broth

Many of my recipes involve a smorgasbord of ingredients from around the world, this one is different. Simple root vegetables, a bit of pork and some herbs are all this recipe needs.

But you will not believe the flavour this simple recipe can squeeze out in just 45 minutes!

Whilst my food influences are diverse, the British food I grew up with is very simple.

This meatball soup recipe relies on that simplicity much like my rabbit stew, beef and beetroot borscht, Scottish Hotch Potch or cock a leekie soup.

The onions, parsnip and carrots give the broth a wonderful earthy sweetness that is perfect with the pork meatballs.

The pork is simply flavoured with sage and pine nuts… Do not skip the pine nuts they add so much to this recipe!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this Italian Wedding Soup?

Yeah but no, but yeah… I have seen many dishes similar to this meatball soup called Italian wedding soup.

A traditional “wedding soup” is called “minestra maritata” in Italian which translates to “married soup”, it does not mean that it is served at weddings.

Oh no, that would be far too obvious, it gets its name from the marriage of flavours between the greens and the meatballs in the soup.

The lack of greens means that this recipe is quite far removed from the classic Italian version.

What sort of pork should I use?

I ordinarily recommend using fatty minced meat to make meatballs, and whilst I am perfectly happy to do that in this recipe you could use leaner pork too.

Because the meatballs are cooked first in butter and then quickly poached in stock there is little chance of them drying out.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, this recipe reheats wonderfully and can be frozen for up to three months. The only thing to note is that the broth does become a little cloudy of the dish is frozen but it still tastes wonderful.

Can I use dried herbs rather than fresh?

Yes, use between half and one teaspoon of dried sage depending on its freshness and around half of a teaspoon of dried thyme.

Serving Suggestions.

When it comes to serving suggestions then for me it has to be a nice crusty bread.

Something like this spelt soda bread would be awesome, as would this simple farmhouse loaf.

If you are after doing something to bulk out this meatball soup then how about pasta?

You could get some little soup pasta and drop it in for 6-8 minutes.

Or you could take this British take on an Italian-American take on an Italian recipe of in a Hungarian direction!

My Traditional Hungarian Goulash recipe features csipetki, little handmade pasta balls. They are simple to make and taste great!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Stovetop.
• 20cm or 8″ saucepan.
• 30cm or 12″ frying pan.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Chopping board.
• Vegetable peeler.
• Kitchen knife.
• Mixing bowl.
• Weighing scales and or measuring jug, cups and spoons.