Name: Lemony Meatball Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef ((450 g)); 1 lb ground pork ((450 g)); 2 large eggs; 1 cup grated parmesan (divided (or kefalotiri)); ¾ cup plain breadcrumbs ((or up to 1 cup) preferably homemade sourdough); 2 onions (divided (1 roughly chopped for the meatballs, 1 diced for the broth)); 4 garlic cloves; ½ cup fresh parsley leaves; ½ cup fresh basil leaves (plus more for serving ); ½ cup spearmint leaves; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon chili pepper flakes (plus more for serving); 2 teaspoons sea salt (plus more to taste); freshly ground pepper (to taste); ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ((120 ml), divided); 8 cups chicken stock ((2 liters)); 1 cup short hilopites (or other small soup pasta); 3 lemons ((2 zested and juiced, 1 cut into wedges for serving))

This is my mom’s meatball soup, exactly the way she made it. Tender meatballs full of fresh herbs and parmesan simmer in chicken broth with just enough tiny pasta. A good squeeze of lemon at the end keeps the whole pot bright instead of heavy. It’s a simple, one-pot meatball soup that feeds a crowd and tastes even better with crusty bread for dunking.

If you love this meatball soup, try my youvarlakia, the traditional Greek meatball soup with rice and egg-lemon sauce, or my lentil sausage soup and classic Greek lemon chicken soup.

Overhead view of meatball soup with tiny square pasta, basil, mint, and chili flakes in a lemony broth, with lemons and bread nearby.

Overview

Why you’ll love this meatball soup

One pot, weeknight friendly. You brown the meatballs, build the broth, and cook the pasta all in the same Dutch oven. The browned bits on the bottom become the flavor base of the soup.
Meatballs that stay juicy. A mix of beef and pork plus sourdough breadcrumbs and parmesan keeps them tender, and simmering them in broth keeps them moist.
Bright, not heavy. There’s no cream and no tomato, just a clear chicken broth finished with lemon juice and zest.
Just enough pasta. Tiny pasta makes it hearty without turning the soup into a pasta dish. I use hilopites, the little Greek egg noodles my mom always reached for.

Ingredients for meatball soup

Alll the ingredients to make soup with meatballs on a butcher Blok.

Ground beef and pork. An equal mix gives the juiciest meatballs. Ground turkey works too, but it’s wetter, so you may need a little more breadcrumbs and parmesan. Chilling the shaped meatballs for 30 minutes before browning helps them hold together.
Eggs. Just two, to bind the meatballs.
Parmesan. Half goes into the meatballs and half into the broth. Kefalotiri or pecorino romano are great swaps; my mom always used kefalotiri.
Sourdough breadcrumbs. I make my own from leftover sourdough and keep them a little chunky. Store-bought is fine, but choose plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs because seasoned ones are too salty.
Onions and garlic. One onion goes into the meatballs with the garlic, and the other is diced for the broth.
Fresh herbs. Spearmint, parsley, and basil, plus extra for serving.
Chicken stock. Vegetable broth also works, or bouillon cubes with water.
Soup pasta. I use short Greek hilopites (more on them below). Any small pasta works.
Lemons. Juice and zest for the broth, plus wedges for serving.
Seasonings and olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and cumin.

What are hilopites? (The pasta my mom always used)

My mom loved short hilopites and used them constantly, in place of rice or whatever pasta a recipe called for. So when she made this soup, it was always with hilopites.

Hilopites (χυλοπίτες) are Greek egg noodles, traditionally made from flour, eggs, and milk, rolled thin and cut into small squares or short ribbons. Because they’re egg noodles, they cook quickly and turn silky in broth, which is exactly what you want in a meatball soup.

Where to buy hilopites in the US: Look for them at Greek and Mediterranean grocery stores, in the international aisle of well-stocked supermarkets, or online. For soup, choose the short, square cut rather than the long ribbons.

Easy swaps: If you can’t find hilopites, use broken egg noodles (the closest in texture), ditalini, orzo, acini de pepe, or small shells. Just follow the package cooking time.

How to make meatball soup

Fresh parsley, basil, spearmint, onion, and garlic in a food processor for meatball soup.

STEP 1. Add the basil, spearmint, parsley, garlic, one onion, and half of the olive oil to a food processor. (No food processor? Finely chop everything and mix it with the oil.)

Finely chopped herbs, onion, and garlic in a food processor.

STEP 2. Pulse until everything is finely chopped.

Shaped raw meatballs on plates, ready for browning.

STEP 3. Mix gently with your hands, without squeezing or overworking the meat. With lightly wet palms, shape the mixture into small meatballs, about 1½ inches.

Meatballs browning in olive oil in a red Dutch oven.

STEP 4. Heat the remaining oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Brown the meatballs 3 or 4 at a time, 2 to 3 minutes per batch, turning them to brown all sides. Transfer them to a plate and repeat with the rest.

Diced onion sautéing in the browned bits left from the meatballs in a Dutch oven.

STEP 5. Add the diced onion, season with salt, and cook about 2 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits (the fond) from the bottom of the pot. That’s where the flavor is.

Browned meatballs returned to the Dutch oven with chicken broth.

STEP 6. Add the tomatoes, butter beans, sea salt, pepper, and about two cups of water, and cook on high heat for 20-25 minutes until they have developed a nice brothy sauce.

Meatballs simmering in chicken broth in a red Dutch oven.

STEP 7. Stir in the remaining parmesan and the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender, following the package time. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

Hilopites pasta and grated parmesan added to meatball soup in a Dutch oven.

STEP 8. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh herbs and red pepper flakes. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.

Side view of two soup bowls with meatball soup with tiny square pasta, basil, mint, and chili flakes in a lemony broth, with lemons and bread nearby.

Variations my mom made

Rotisserie chicken instead of meatballs. Skip the meatballs entirely. Sauté the diced onion in olive oil, add the broth, and bring it to a simmer. Cook the hilopites with the parmesan, then stir in about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken just to heat through, and finish with lemon.
Just broth, hilopites, and kefalotiri. Her simplest version, and maybe my favorite: hot broth, a big handful of hilopites, and lots of grated kefalotiri on top. Pure comfort.
Turkey meatballs. Use ground turkey in place of the beef and pork, with a little extra breadcrumbs and cheese, and chill the meatballs before browning.

Tips for the best meatball soup

Don’t overmix the meat. Mix just until combined, because overworked meat makes tough meatballs.
Don’t skip browning. It adds flavor to the meatballs and builds the base of the broth.
Keep it at a simmer, not a rolling boil, so the meatballs don’t break apart.
Add the lemon off the heat or at the very end so it stays fresh and bright.
Cook the pasta last. It keeps absorbing broth as it sits, so add it only when you’re about to serve.

Make ahead, storage, and freezing

Make ahead: Shape the meatballs up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. If you’re making the whole soup ahead, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl so it doesn’t soak up all the broth.
Fridge: Keeps 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. The pasta will absorb broth, so add a splash of stock or water when reheating.
Freezer: Freeze the soup without the pasta for up to 3 months. Raw shaped meatballs also freeze well: freeze them on a tray, then transfer them to a bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat gently, and cook fresh pasta in the broth.

FAQ

Small shapes that fit on a spoon: hilopites, broken egg noodles, ditalini, orzo, or acini de pepe. I use short hilopites, the Greek egg noodles my mom always used.

No. Youvarlakia is the traditional Greek meatball soup: the meatballs have rice inside, they’re poached rather than browned, and the soup is thickened with avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce). This soup has browned meatballs with parmesan and breadcrumbs, pasta in the broth, and just lemon juice and zest, with no eggs.

Don’t overmix, chill the shaped meatballs for 30 minutes if they feel soft, brown them before simmering, and keep the soup at a gentle simmer.

They’re done when they reach 160°F (71°C) in the center.

Yes. My mom often made this with shredded rotisserie chicken. See the variations above.