Italian Meatball Minestrone Soup – It is Crazy Good!

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I really wanted to make an Italian Meatball Minestrone Soup because

a) it sounds delicious and

b) all the flavours in a meatball and vegetable soup has to be good right?

Well for Dave and I, it is a resounding YES!

Keto Meatball Minestrone Soup

So of course I had to attempt to make this a low carb/keto soup recipe that everyone would be happy with.

Gone are the meatball fillers like breadcrumbs or panko. No pasta or beans in this keto minestrone. If you have tried my Keto Minestrone Soup before then you know that I really like a rich comfort keto soup.

I have never been a big fan of higher carb keto recipes since starting a keto diet. I much prefer trying to keep any meal I have under 10g net carbs, even though I mostly am OMAD – one meal a day.

Anyway let look at what you need to make it.

Meatball Minestrone Ingredients

Here is all you need to make our to our keto minestrone soup.

How to make it

As my usual methods I have included both a conventional method, a Thermomix minestrone recipe method and one for the Instant Pot.

First up mix the meatballs with the herbs and spices.

• Roll into small bite size meatballs (15g each) and set aside in the fridge.

• Place butter and oil in large saucepan, crockpot, slow cooker or Instant Pot. Heat over moderate heat until butter has melted.
• Add onion, bacon, chorizo, carrot and zucchini and sauté until vegetables are softened.
• Add paprika, Italian Seasoning, tomatoes, peppers, tomato paste, and broth to bacon mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce to low/slow and add meatballs to stock.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours. See Note 2.
• When soup is ready meatballs should very tender. Season well.
• Serve with grated parmesan and mozzarella. Garnish with parsley and basil.

Hot Tips to get a Perfect Result Everytime

So you want to make the soup perfect every time then listen up. This is a great keto soup recipe but you do need just a few hot tips to ensure success.

1. Choose fattier mince meat. With all great keto ground beef recipes you need some healthy fats. In this minestrone I use both pork and beef mince. I choose to get the fattier ground meat when I can and preferable pasture fed. The higher fat content and mixing it well ensure the meatballs stay together.
2. Mix the meatballs well. Make sure if you are not making the Thermomix version that you really squish the hell out of that meat to make it really want to cling together for perfect meatballs.
3. Thermomix owners – use a Blade Cover. If you do not have a blade cover then fry the meatballs and add back to the sauce later or use a slow cooker. The blade cover allows the meatballs to hold their shape and keep them away from the blades.
4. Slow cook! Yes small meatballs can be cooked in no time. However for our Italian Meatball Minestrone we want juice soft and tender meatballs. This is what happens when you slow cook. To test if your soup is ready try a meatball. It should be tender and not grainy at all.
5. Can I freeze the soup. This is a keto soup recipe that 100% freezer friendly. Simply ladle the soup into individual portions and seal airtight and freeze.

Want some more Spectacular Keto Soup Recipes?

I am a huge soup fan. While this meatball minestrone is absolutely the bomb 💣I have quite a few low carb soup recipes that will knock your socks off.

1. Thrifty Chicken Soup
2. Chicken Pot Pie Soup
3. Keto Pea and Ham Soup
4. Smokey Mexican Chicken Taco Soup
5. Keto Chicken Vegetable Soup

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Keto Italian Meatball Minestrone

I just had to make a keto Italian Meatball Minestrone Soup recipe. Who doesn't love a great soup (and meatballs) without all the carbs. I am a big fan of this super easy slow cooked keto soup.

5 from 11 votes

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Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 6 hrs

Total Time: 6 hrs 20 mins

Course: Lunch and Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Recipe Category: Low Carb

Calories: 567kcal

Author: Megan Ellam

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Servings: 4 serves

MetricUS Customary

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Ingredients

MEATBALLS

• ▢ 200 g beef mince
• ▢ 200 g pork mince
• ▢ 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

SOUP

• ▢ 30 g butter
• ▢ 15 g olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup onion diced (50g)
• ▢ 2 rashers bacon diced (100g)
• ▢ 1 chorizo sausage finely chopped
• ▢ 1/4 cup carrot diced (35g) optional
• ▢ 3/4 cup zucchini diced (100g)
• ▢ 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• ▢ 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 400 g diced tomatoes fresh or tinned, I use Ardmona Rich & Thick
• ▢ 1/4 cup roasted red peppers finely diced
• ▢ 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 300 g beef broth or stock
• ▢ 1/4 cup parmesan grated
• ▢ 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• ▢ 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves to garnish

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

CONVENTIONAL / SLOW COOK/ INSTANT POT METHOD

• In a large bowl place all meatball ingredients. Use your hands to thoroughly mix the seasonings through the mince. The mince needs to be well kneaded to hold together in the soup.
• Pinch off a small piece of the meat mixture and gently roll between your hands to form meatballs (about 2 teaspoons each) and place onto a small tray. Continue shaping until all the meat is used. Cover and place into the fridge. Note 1.
• Place butter and oil in large saucepan, crockpot, slow cooker or Instant Pot. Heat over moderate heat until butter has melted.
• Add onion, bacon, chorizo, carrot and zucchini and sauté until vegetables are softened.
• Add paprika, Italian Seasoning, tomatoes, peppers, tomato paste, and broth to bacon mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce to low/slow and add meatballs to stock.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours. See Note 2.
• When soup is ready meatballs should very tender. Season well.
• Serve with grated parmesan and mozzarella. Garnish with parsley and basil.

THERMOMIX METHOD

• Place all meatball ingredients into mixer bowl and mix 6 sec/speed 10.
• Pinch off a small piece of the meat mixture and gently roll between your hands to form meatballs (about 2 teaspoons each) and place onto a small tray. Continue shaping until all the meat is used. Cover and place into the fridge. Note 1.
• Place onion into mixer bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Add butter, olive oil, bacon, chorizo, carrot and zucchini. Cook 6 min/Varoma/reverse stir. Pour into a small bowl.
• Insert Blade Cover. Add paprika, Italian Seasoning, tomatoes, peppers, tomato paste, broth and bacon mixture into mixer bowl. Cook 15 min/Varoma/revers/speed 1.
• Place meatballs into soup (careful not to go over the max level). Slow cook/6 hours (TM6) or 99 min/95℃/reverse/speed 1 and repeat.
• When soup is ready meatballs should very tender. Season well.
• Serve with grated parmesan and mozzarella. Garnish with parsley and basil.

Notes

1. Meatballs can be cooked by browning if preferred and then added to the minestrone.
Bake the meatballs in the oven (15 – 20 minutes) at 200℃.
2. Check meatballs and soup consistency after 6 hours. Meatballs should be very tender. If you need to extend the time extend it.
3. This soup can be done in a lot less time but by slow cooking it does develop the flavours.
4. Extra vegetables such as mushrooms and cauliflower go great in a keto minestrone. Simply add what you like mindful that you will be adding more carbs.
5. For Instant Pot set to pressure cook/5 minutes/natural release for 10 minutes then quick release.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serve | Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 758mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2772IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 4mg | Magnesium: 50mg | Net Carbs: 7g

Tried this recipe?Mention @meganellam or tag #madcreations!

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26 Comments

• Jaquie says:

  March 30, 2020 at 12:12 am

  
  Well what more can I say but yummm
  Substitute chorizo, with italian salami

  Reply
• Tracey Endres says:

  March 30, 2020 at 7:09 pm

  
  A very yummy hearty soup – will definitely make again
  Took out the zucchini and added mushrooms
  Cooked for 10 min in my Tupperware microwave pressure cooker

  Reply
• Fran says:

  March 31, 2020 at 10:07 pm

  For the meatballs I used 200g beef mince and 200g pork & veal mince. Mixed in TM5.
  Used Themie to make sauce up to and including instruction 5 – don’t have blade cover and it was fine. Used chorizo salami (100g) instead of chorizo sausage. Didn’t use zucchini.
  Moved to crockpot, added meatballs, cooked for 5 hours then added 200g chopped mushrooms and cooked another hour.
  Served as suggested.
  Very tasty and quite easy to put together!
  Well done on another successful recipe.

  Reply
  • Megan Mad Creations Hub says:

    April 1, 2020 at 9:13 am

    Thanks Fran for leaving how you prepared it and alternative methods. I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe and also your time taken to leave such a great review.

    Reply
• Erica Shepherd says:

  April 1, 2020 at 12:41 pm

  So good!! Used 100% beef mince and subbed out the carrot for broccoli.. easy to make and so delicious. Def make again!

  Reply
• Anne says:

  April 1, 2020 at 3:43 pm

  Hi Megan.
  Made the Italian meatball minestrone soup in slow cooker.
  Wow the beauitful Italian smells coming from my kitchen had my neighbor asking what I was cooking..
  I made 2 batches one your way.. yummy.. very rich and flavour some soup.
  Next batch was as equally good as the first , I changed only the meat I used pork sausage, did not cook just cut up and straight into slow cooker..
  Have some of each to neighbour’s they loved both.
  Winner winner soup dinners.
  Cheers Anne.

  Reply
• Jess says:

  April 1, 2020 at 6:38 pm

  Nice twist on an old classic. I chucked it all in a pot, then baked meatballs and chucked them in and served. On the table in under an hour and kids ate it too (while expertly picking out all signs of zucchini!).

  Reply
  • Megan Mad Creations Hub says:

    April 2, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    haha! Damn kids right. Glad you enjoyed it Jess and thanks for leaving a review.

    Reply
• Lynne says:

  April 1, 2020 at 7:12 pm

  Made this for the 1st time today. Followed the recipe but next time might add a bit more liquid and maybe some mushrooms. This will definitely be a winter favourite. Delicious!!

  Reply
  • Megan Mad Creations Hub says:

    April 2, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    I am happy you enjoyed it Lynne. I have made it with the extra mushrooms as well and it is awesome.

    Reply
• Andrea says:

  April 5, 2020 at 10:25 am

  
  Oh wow! The flavours in this soup are just amazing. This soup is on the meal plan this week.

  Reply
• Sylvie says:

  April 6, 2020 at 10:22 am

  
  This soup looks so delicious and comforting! Exactly what I feel like right now while the temperatures are starting to drop – yum!!

  Reply