This hearty and rich Italian meatball soup is made easily in the slow cooker. With only 4 WW smart points, it’s a delicious dinner or lunch idea!
Looking for a great weeknight dinner idea? Give this Italian meatball soup a try! Full of vegetables, hearty meatballs and pasta, you’d never know it was only 4 smart points.
Much to my dismay, we still have a several weeks (or more) of summer and humidity left. Ugh. I know, I’m SO ready for Fall! I’m a huge soup lover, and am so ready for all things comforting. We eat soup year round, but there’s just something extra comforting and delicious about soup in the Fall!
Especially a soup like this hearty Italian meatball soup! It’s light, but not light-tasting… which is the best kind of soup isn’t it?
Another great thing about this Italian meatball soup is that there’s nothing to pre-cook or brown… it all goes right in the slow cooker!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK MEATBALLS IN SOUP?
Normally, with freshly made meatballs, on the stovetop, they’d have to simmer for at least 20 minutes. But in this soup, I’ve made it incredibly easy by using frozen fully cooked meatballs. No messy meatball hands, and no guessing if the meatballs are cooked all the way through!
This Italian meatball soup is only 4 Weight Watchers smart points per serving, but there are several ways to change that:
TO POTENTIALLY DECREASE THE POINTS:
- Use additional beef broth or water instead of the red wine
- Use chicken meatballs
- Use turkey meatballs
- Use a less pasta
TO POTENTIALLY INCREASE THE POINTS:
- Use more meatballs
- Use more pasta
- Use the optional cheese garnish
I know you may be wondering why on earth you’d want to INCREASE the points in a meal… and I know it seems a little counterintuitive. But eating only 0-2/3 point foods will likely not keep you satisfied, and can lead to some unhealthy snacking, which totally undoes all the good you’ve been doing! So sometimes adding a few extra points here and there (while still staying within your daily/weekly allowance) actually helps you stick to your healthy way of eating.
OTHER GREAT SLOW COOKER SOUPS
- Skinny Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup
- Hearty Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
- Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham Chowder
- Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden copycat recipe)
HELPFUL TOOLS:
- 6 quart slow cooker – This is a recent addition to my slow cooker collection, but it cooks wonderfully and the lid locks in place!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 3 medium carrots , sliced
- 2 ribs celery , sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion , diced
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 oz frozen Italian meatballs (the fully cooked kind)
- 32 oz beef broth (reduced sodium)
- 2 cups water
- 5 oz dry red wine (like a cabernet sauvignon)
- 2 (15 oz each) cans diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
- 3/4 cup dry ditalini pasta
- 3-5 oz fresh baby spinach
- sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional and not included in point value)
Instructions
- To a 6 quart or larger slow cooker, add carrots, celery, onion, Italian seasoning, black pepper, bay leaf, meatballs, broth, water, wine, and canned tomatoes.
- Stir to combine, cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, until vegetables are tender and flavors are combined.
- Stir in ditalini pasta, cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes, until pasta is tender. Remove bay leaf and stir in spinach until wilted.
- Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired (this is not included in the point value).
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Calories: 170 | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 317mg | Sugar: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 77.8% | Vitamin C: 5.8% | Calcium: 3.7% | Iron: 5.5%
I’m not a nutritionist, and nutritional values here on my recipes should be used for general information purposes only. This information is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new diet and fitness regimen.
Morgan says
my family loved this soup. Thank you for posting it! You rock!
K says
Can you use rice instead of pasta?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, but I’m sure that would work well. Since the cook time for the rice may be different than the way this recipe was tested (with a specific pasta type), I would cook the rice separately though.
Angela says
Why do the noodles expand so much it takes alot of the broth?
The Chunky Chef says
That’s just how dried pasta cooks… it absorbs the liquid it’s cooked in 🙂 If you don’t want that, you can always cook the pasta separately, and add it to the serving bowl and top with a ladle or two of the soup.
Cheryl says
Delicious!! Will make it again! Added 1 cup of shredded cabbage along with the spinach. It was perfect and healthy!! Also added 2tbsp of fresh ground garlic.
Carla says
Frozen meatballs in an Italian soup. I would just call it meatball soup.There’s nothing Italian about frozen store bought meatballs.Just saying lol.
The Chunky Chef says
Absolutely never claimed this was an authentic Italian recipe, but thanks for your valuable information lol.
Jess says
I made this for a dinner party and it was so delicious and easy! We had a vegetarian in the group, so I used vegetable stock and cooked the meatballs on the side. I also threw a few parmesan rinds in for some added flavor. Maybe vegetable broth is less salty than beef broth, but I thought it desperately needed more salt. But everyone loved it and I cant wait to have a bowl for lunch today! 🙂
Heather says
This is such an easy and veggie packed meal! My son loves it so much that it’s on the regular rotation. It makes a ton so I freeze in Souper Cubes and send in his thermos for school lunches. I typically make it just as written but sometimes double the veggies, use chicken broth instead, and once I swapped out homemade meatballs.
Wilma Lightfoot says
Can you leave out the wine in this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, you will need to replace it with an equal amount of additional beef broth or water though 🙂
Shawna says
I used ground up Italian sausage, added banana peppers and even put some juice in the pot, added more noodles. After it cooled off it was really good. My husband eats with spicy cheese it’s
Cathy says
Do you leave the juice in the diced tomatoes? I feel like you shoul but don’t want to mess it up.
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, leave the juice in 🙂
Rose says
I can’t find ditalini. Any suggestions for a substitution. And if so, how much of another pasta?
The Chunky Chef says
Use the same amount of any small pasta, orzo or small shells would be a good substitute 🙂
Rose says
My husband doesn’t care for spinach, would you just leave it out. I saw on the internet to use cabbage as a substitute. How do you think that would work? We like most vegetables, so I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.
The Chunky Chef says
The only substitution I’ve made for the spinach was to use kale, which worked well. I’ve not tested using cabbage or any other veggies, so I can’t speak to how well that would work.
Lori says
This soup is so easy to prepare and is absolutely delicious!
Angela says
Hi wondering if this soup could be frozen after cooking.
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested freezing this recipe, so I can’t say for certain how well that would work. If you experiment with freezing it, I’d love to know how it goes 🙂
Paullette S says
DELICIOUS ! Great for a cold winter dinner !
Paulette says
I am going to use freshly made meatballs instead of the frozen ones which I couldn’t find. What do you suggest for cooking time in the slow cooker? Should I brown them first?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain how long they would take to cook in the slow cooker, as it will also depend on how large you make them 🙂 I would brown them first, just to make sure they don’t fall apart. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Janet S says
I made my meatballs a day ahead and baked them in the over for 15 minutes and then refrigerated them. Made the soup the next day adding the meatball and cooked for 7 hours. Everyone I shared with said it was the best meatball soup they ever had. I did not use spinach or Kale.
Jamie says
This is my family’s absolute favorite dish I make! I never measure the ingredients I go by what we like! You can never go wrong with this dish! The PERFECT fall go to meal! Add a side of toasted bread sticks and your good to go! Thanks for the recipe!
Addie says
Can I do this on high for 3-4 hours instead of low for 7-8 hours? I forgot to start the slow cooker this morning.
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, that should work well.