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.

Easy Meatball Soup Recipe
Simple, commonplace ingredients are at the heart of this simple pork meatball soup... You will not believe the flavour this simple recipe can squeeze out in just 45 minutes!
Ingredients
- 100g (⅔ Cup) Carrot
- 100g (⅔ Cup) Parsnip
- 100g (⅔ Cup) Onion
- 35g (1/4 Cup) Celery
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 500ml (2 Cups) Vegetable Stock
- 2 Sprigs Thyme
- 1 Bay Leaf
For the Mini Meatballs:
- 200g (7 oz) Minced Pork
- 6 Sage Leaves
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 25g (3 Tbsp) Pine Nuts
- 15g (2-3 Tbsp) Dried Bread Crumbs
- 30g (2 Tbsp) Butter
Instructions
- Cut the carrot, parsnip, celery and onion into a 3-5mm (⅛-¼") dice.
- Heat the oil over a medium heat in a 20cm or 8" saucepan and add the diced carrot, parsnip, celery and carrot and cook for 10 mins.
- Do not colour the vegetables, just soften.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and add the thyme and bay leaf.
- Taste the stock and add salt as required.
- Simmer for 15 mins whilst we prepare the meatballs.
- Finely slice the sage leaves and add them to the pork.
- Throw in the pine nuts then season well with salt and pepper.
- Add the egg yolk and breadcrumbs and bring together to form a large ball.
- Using wet hands roll into meatballs approximately 1.5-2cm (½-¾") in diameter. It should make approximately 2 dozen mini meatballs.
- Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium high heat, when it is hot add the butter.
- When the butter begins to foam add the meatballs and fry flipping until browned on all sides. Remove them from the pan and drain the additional butter on a kitchen towel.
- Drop the meatballs in the soup and cook for a further 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 678Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 209mgSodium: 964mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 30g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
Julie
Monday 30th of September 2019
This looks like such a great soup! Can't wait to try it!
Brian Jones
Thursday 3rd of October 2019
Thanks Julie!
Chef Mireille
Monday 30th of September 2019
what a delicious looking soup and as we are heading into soup season, it's the perfect time of year for it!
Brian Jones
Monday 30th of September 2019
Thank you!
Beth Neels
Thursday 26th of September 2019
Whether it's wedding soup, or not, I love this easy soup! The pork meatballs are spot on and I love the carrot and parsnip! I didn't miss the greens one bit!
Brian Jones
Monday 30th of September 2019
Thanks Beth!