Chicken Meatball Soup is richly flavored, gut-friendly, and perfect for weeknight dinners and meal planning. The hearty soup features ground chicken meatballs, caramelized onions and carrots, and Yukon potatoes in a homemade chicken stock.

This soup is packed with nutritious ingredients meant to soothe your stomach. Not only is it easy on the stomach, it is also delicious and easy to make. Make this soup to enjoy for a few nights in a row and eat it with rice, noodles, or on its own.
Chicken meatball soup is a go-to when experiencing a stomach flare, too. It has protein, soft vegetables, and a nutritious broth. It's nourishing, hydrating, and easy to digest.
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About Chicken Meatball Soup
- Taste - This easy soup has a rich broth with herby chicken and savory veggies.
- Texture - The broth is thick, the veggies are caramelized, and the meatballs are tender.
- Effort - All you need to do is cook the chicken meatballs and the veggies, then cook them both in the stock.
- Time - It takes about 10 minutes to prep the meatballs and other ingredients then about 45 minutes to cook everything.
Ingredients


Chicken Meatballs
- Ground chicken - Ground chicken is a lean protein with light flavor.
- Egg - Egg binds the meat so it doesn't fall apart.
- Panko - Panko gives the meatballs texture and weight. The breadcrumbs are airy and light.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano - Parmigiano-reggiano or parmesan cheese adds a sharp savoriness to the meatballs.
- Garlic and Parsley - Garlic and parsley brighten the meatballs and soup with fresh herby flavors. Fresh garlic and parsley can be substituted for garlic powder and dried parsley or other herbs, like sweet basil, and rosemary.
- Italian seasoning - Italian seasoning is a delicious blend of herbs that adds a ton of flavor.
Soup
- Olive oil - Olive oil is a delicious fat to took the onion and carrots in.
- Onion - Onion is an aromatic that enhances the flavor of the broth.
- Carrots - Carrots add a little sweetness to the soup.
- Yukon potatoes - Yukon potatoes have a mild lightly sweet flavor.
- Stock - Homemade chicken stock is tastiest but you can also use store-bought. Just be sure to buy a stock with minimal additives.
- Spinach - Spinach is a mild sweet green that is rich in vitamins, iron, folate and potassium.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Meatballs - For non-chicken fans, opt for meatballs made of ground turkey, ground pork, or ground beef.
- Breadcrumbs - If you don't have panko, use Italian breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs instead. You can also use a mix of both.
- Potatoes - Use other waxy potatoes like fingerling potatoes or red waxy potatoes. Waxy potatoes tend to hold their shape best in the soup.
- Baby kale - Use baby kale instead of spinach for a stronger flavored green.
- Gluten free - In order to make this recipe gluten free, use gluten free breadcrumbs instead of panko.
Variations
- Lemon - Add a squeeze of lemon to brighten up the flavor of the soup.
- Ground black pepper - Add more freshly ground black pepper for an extra kick.
- Orzo - Orzo is a small pasta that adds heartiness to the soup. You can also use pastina, spaghetti spezzati, or even ravioli.
- Farro - Farro is a nutritious ancient grain with nutty flavor. It is a healthy substitute for pastina and rice.
Instructions

- Mix ingredients - In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, 2 minced garlic cloves, panko, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. (Photo 1 and 2)
- Form meatballs - Gently toss with your hands and break up the meat until evenly mixed. Then use your hands to roll and shape 1-inch meatballs. (Photo 3 and 4)

- Cook meatballs - In a large pot or dutch oven, add oil and warm over medium heat. Add meatballs to the pot, leaving some space between them. Cook on one side until browned, about 3-5 minutes, then use a spoon to gently flip over. You’ll know the meatballs are done on one side when they detach from the pot easily. Allow the meatballs to cook on the other side for an additional 3-5 minutes until browned. Then transfer the meatballs from the pot to a plate and set aside. (Photo 5 and 6)
- Cook vegetables - Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot, then add the onion cut side down and carrots and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes. (Photo 7 and 8)

- Cook garlic and broth - Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute. Then add potatoes, parsley, meatballs, and broth. (Photo 9 and 10)
- Simmer and add spinach - Allow to simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the onion and parsley bunch from the soup, then add the spinach to wilt. Serve in bowls and enjoy. (Photo 11 and 12)
Pro tip - Add a starch, like pastina, gnocchi, or rice to the soup. Cook in a separate pot, then add the starch and the soup in the bowls when you are ready to eat. This ensures that the starch will not absorb all of the soup in the pot.
Storage
Store cooled leftovers in an air-tight container or in the pot you cooked it in with the lid on in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the soup in smaller containers for meal prep and meal planning.
Equipment
This easy chicken meatball soup recipe requires a few kitchen essentials, all of which can be used for many other common recipes. To make this soup, you will need a knife, cutting board, measuring spoons, and a medium pot or dutch oven.
For the chicken meatballs, you will need a mixing bowl, like this glass mixing bowl set.
Top tip
- Freeze - Make a batch of soup and freeze it for meal preparation. We highly recommend these silicone cubes for freezing soup.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to make this soup rich is to add homemade chicken stock. Tomatoes will also add a lot of color and flavor to the broth if your stomach can handle it. This soup is already quite rich because we sear the meatballs, onions, and carrots in the same pot that we cook the soup in. This adds fond and flavor to the soup.
This usually occurs if you overwork the ground chicken. Be gentle when forming the meatballs.
Yes, we recommend cooking this soup for at least 30 minutes to enhance the flavor. The flavors will be even better the next day.
If you use egg, the meatballs should not fall apart. Eggs bind the meatballs together.
Yes, but the meatballs have a better texture when seared ahead of time then cooked in the soup afterwards..

Related Recipes
- Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs
- Thick & Healthy Turkey Chili
- Chicken Miso Soup
- Italian Beef Soup (Brodo di Carne)
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Chicken Meatball Soup
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 dutch oven
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion halved
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3-4 medium carrots diced
- 2-3 yukon potatoes cubed
- 1 small bunch parsley
- 2 qts stock
- 1 cup spinach
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix ingredients - In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, 2 minced garlic cloves, panko, cheese, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.1 lb ground chicken, 1 egg, ½ cup panko, ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- Form meatballs - Gently toss with your hands and break up the meat until evenly mixed. Then use your hands to roll and shape 1-inch meatballs.
- Cook meatballs - In a large pot or dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon of oil and warm on medium heat. Add meatballs to the pot, leaving some space between them. Cook on one side until browned, about 3-5 minutes, then use a spoon to gently flip over. You’ll know the meatballs are done on one side when they detach from the pot easily. Allow the meatballs to cook on the other side for an additional 3-5 minutes until browned. Then, transfer the meatballs from the pot to a plate and set aside.2 tablespoon olive oil
- Cook vegetables - Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot, then add the onion cut side down and carrots and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add potatoes, parsley, meatballs, and stock and allow to simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes. Salt to taste.1 onion, 3-4 medium carrots, 2-3 yukon potatoes, 1 small bunch parsley, 2 qts stock, kosher salt, 2 cloves garlic
- Add spinach - Carefully remove the onion and parsley bunch from the soup, then add the spinach to wilt. Serve in bowls and enjoy.1 cup spinach
Notes
- Starch - Add a starch, like pastina, gnocchi, or rice to the soup. Cook in a separate pot, then add the starch and the soup in the bowls. This ensures that the starch will not absorb all of the soup in the pot.
- Freeze - Make a batch of soup and freeze it for meal preparation. We highly recommend these silicone cubes for freezing soup.
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