Creamy Italian Meatball Soup with Orzo

This Creamy Italian Meatball Soup is loaded with tender meatballs, orzo, tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan in a creamy Italian-seasoned broth. It’s cozy, filling, and comes together in about 35 minutes using frozen meatballs to keep things EASY.

I love a homemade soup, but I also don’t think we need to make homemade meatballs on a random Tuesday night just to prove something. 😂 A bag of frozen meatballs makes this one so simple, and once everything simmers together, there is plenty of flavor in the broth.

Serve it with some crusty bread and dinner is done!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is one of those soups that feels like you did a lot more work than you actually did.

• Frozen meatballs save a ton of prep time.
• Everything cooks in one pot.
• Orzo makes the broth extra cozy and creamy.
• It’s ready in about 35 minutes.
• You get your protein, pasta, and veggies all in one bowl.
• It’s made with easy-to-find ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 (24–26 oz) bag frozen homestyle meatballs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup uncooked orzo
• 3 cups baby spinach
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

How to Make Creamy Italian Meatball Soup

1. Sauté the onion and garlic

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the diced onion and cook for about 3–4 minutes, until it begins to soften.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

2. Build the soup

Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.

Stir everything together.

3. Add the meatballs

Add the frozen meatballs directly to the pot. There’s no need to thaw them first.

Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Cook the orzo

Stir ¾ cup uncooked orzo into the soup.

Continue simmering for approximately 8–10 minutes, or according to the package directions, until the orzo is tender.

Make sure you stir it fairly often. Orzo LOVES finding the bottom of the pot and staying there. 😂

5. Make it creamy

Once the orzo is tender and the meatballs are heated through, reduce the heat to low.

Stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan.

Keep the soup over low heat and avoid bringing it to a hard boil after adding the cream.

6. Add the spinach

Stir in the baby spinach and cook for another 1–2 minutes, just until it wilts.

Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with extra Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.

Taylor’s Tips

You don’t have to thaw the meatballs. I put mine straight into the soup from frozen. Just make sure they’re completely heated through according to the package directions before serving.

Stir the orzo! Especially once it starts getting tender. Because it’s so small, it can easily settle on the bottom of the pot.

Don’t boil the heavy cream. Once you add the cream and Parmesan, keep your heat low so the broth stays smooth and creamy.

Have extra broth handy. Orzo is basically a tiny delicious sponge. 😂 It will continue absorbing liquid as the soup sits, so don’t be surprised if your leftovers are much thicker the next day.

Spinach is optional. I love the color it adds and it’s an easy way to get a vegetable into dinner, but the soup will still work without it.

Can I Use a Different Pasta?

Absolutely. I used orzo, but you could substitute another small pasta such as ditalini, small shells, or elbow macaroni.

Cooking times will vary depending on the pasta you use, so follow the package directions and cook until tender.

Can I Use Homemade Meatballs?

Yes! If you already have homemade meatballs, they’d be great in this soup.

Just make sure they’re fully cooked before serving. The frozen homestyle meatballs are simply my favorite shortcut for keeping this an easy weeknight dinner.

Can I Make This Soup Ahead of Time?

You can, but there’s one thing to know: the orzo will keep absorbing the broth.

If you’re specifically making the soup ahead of time, you could cook the orzo separately and add it to each bowl when serving.

For a regular weeknight dinner, though, I wouldn’t bother dirtying another pot. 😂 Just add a little extra broth when reheating leftovers.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover creamy Italian meatball soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.

The soup will get considerably thicker in the refrigerator as the orzo absorbs the broth.

When reheating, add chicken broth a little at a time until the soup reaches the consistency you like.