Easy Paleo Meatball Soup {Keto & Whole30}
Make a nourishing pot of Paleo Meatball Soup with homemade gluten-free beef and pork meatballs, an aromatic blend of vegetables, chicken broth, and fresh spinach. This recipe is a light and flavorful adaptation of Italian wedding soup -my personal favorite!
I’m big on soups in the wintertime, but my all-time favorite is Italian wedding soup. I wanted to create a gluten-free version without beans or pasta, yet with the same great flavor. With that in mind, this meatball soup recipe was born. It also happens to be dairy-free, keto, paleo, and Whole30 friendly -no modifications needed!
You’ll start by making beef and pork meatballs from scratch. Then, you’ll make an intensely flavorful soup broth. All that’s left to do is cook your meatballs in the broth, add spinach, and serve. You’re going to love how easy this is!
This meatball soup is a hit in my household. The kids add Parmesan cheese to theirs, and they LOVE it. We didn’t even miss the beans and pasta. Healthy food is delicious food! Who would have thought?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a no beans and no pasta adaptation of Italian wedding soup.
- It works for low carb, keto, paleo, and Whole30 protocols.
- It’s a super easy meal the whole family will love.
- This soup is loaded with FLAVOR.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the meatballs:
- Ground Meat: I like to use a combination of equal parts ground pork and ground beef. Feel free to use one or the other. You can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground lamb.
- Eggs: Eggs help hold the meatballs together and keep them nice and juicy.
- Sweet Onion: Sweet onion intensifies the mouthwatering savory flavor. Shallots also work.
- Spices & Seasonings: Garlic powder and minced parsley (dried or fresh) for flavor.
- Salt & Ground Black Pepper: rounds out the savory flavors.
For the soup:
- EVOO: You’ll need extra virgin olive oil or avocado to coat the bottom of your pot.
- Mirepoix Blend: A classic mirepoix veggie blend has equal parts diced onion, celery, and carrots. This trio of veggies adds irresistible flavors and aromas. To save time, check your produce section for pre-cut mirepoix vegetables.
- Garlic: Adds a layer of robust, savory flavor.
- Bay Leaf: Deepens the flavor of the soup broth.
- Chicken Broth: It is essential to use a quality chicken broth here as we’ll be using it for the meatball soup broth, so you want it to be delicious. *Most bone broths don’t have a lot of flavor, so I highly recommend using regular chicken broth for this recipe.
- Baby Spinach Leaves: The delicate leaves add fresh flavor to the soup and a ton of nutrients. You can also add curly kale, Tuscan kale, chard, or escarole.
How To Make Paleo Meatball Soup with Spinach
Step 1: Make meatballs. Place all meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well with your hands or a wooden spoon. Then, roll the mixture into 1-1/2″ balls, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate.
Step 2: Cook vegetables. Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot, and then add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cover and let the veggies sweat, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Deglaze pot. Add the chicken broth to the pot and add the bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Cook meatballs. Returning to the baking sheet of meatballs, remove them from the fridge and carefully drop them into the simmering pot of broth and vegetables. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Step 5: Finish and serve. Stir in the spinach and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t be scared to get messy – The best way to make meatballs is with your hands.
- Don’t overmix – You want to mix the meatball ingredients thoroughly without fussing with it too much.
- Small vs. large meatballs – I like to roll the meatballs reasonably large (a little smaller than golf ball size), but that is a personal preference. This recipe makes about 34 meatballs with a standard cookie scoop.
- Boil the meatballs – Don’t hesitate to drop raw meatballs directly into your soup. Cooking them this way makes them super soft and tender.
- Add spinach at the end – Wait until the soup is finished to add the spinach leaves. The hot broth will gently wilt the leaves, making them soft and tender.
- Serving – I love enjoying this cozy soup with freshly grated parmesan, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and a slice of crusty bread. YUM.
Slow Cooker Instructions
If you’d rather cook your soup in a Crockpot, you’ll need to make the following modifications:
- First, make the meatballs according to the stovetop instructions. Next, warm EVOO in a large pan until hot but not smoking. Add the meatballs and cook until lightly browned and golden on all sides. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Add the remaining soup ingredients to your slow cooker and the par-cooked browned meatballs. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 4 hours.
Variations
There’s plenty of room to make a heartier meatball soup with grains, beans, and pasta. Cook add-ins separately and then stir them into your finished soup. Check out the list below for ideas.
- Wild Rice
- Quinoa
- Small Pasta Noodles
- Orzo
- Beans
To keep your meatball soup low carb, keto, paleo, and Whole30, try adding:
- Zucchini Noodles – These are best added to individual bowls of soup before serving.
- Cauliflower Rice – Place the cooked cauliflower rice in your soup bowl and ladle the meatball soup overtop.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Keep leftover meatball soup in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.
Freezing: After cooling, pour your soup into freezer-safe containers (leaving room at the top for expansion), and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe FAQ
Pan-frying the meatballs before adding them to your soup will keep them from falling apart. However, for this adaptation of Italian wedding soup, you can drop the meatballs directly into the boiling broth, and they should stay juicy and tender.
If you’re short on time and have frozen meatballs on hand, feel free to use them instead, just make sure that they are compliant to your dietary needs or preferences. Frozen meatballs can go straight from the freezer into your boiling soup -no thawing necessary. These gluten-free meatballs freeze well and taste great in meatball soup.
Soups You’ll Love
If you love this recipe I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!
Stay posted on my latest cooking adventures through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
Paleo Meatball Soup
Ingredients
- For the meatballs:
- 1 lb grassfed lean ground beef 90% lean or leaner
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tbsp sweet onion very finely minced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp minced parsley dried is fine1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- For the Soup:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup sweet onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves trim off stems
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix all meatball ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Get in there and work it with your hands…don’t be scared to get messy.
- Roll balls slightly smaller than the size of a golf ball and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Sweat onions, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil in a large covered pot for 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Deglaze your pot with chicken broth and add your bay leaf, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the pot (they will cook in the soup and remain nice and tender.
- Cook meatballs for about 15-20 minutes in the simmering soup then add the spinach and cook until just wilted.
Notes
- Don’t overmix – You want to mix the meatball ingredients thoroughly without fussing with it too much.
- Small vs. large meatballs – I like to roll the meatballs reasonably large (a little smaller than golf ball size), but that is a personal preference. This recipe makes about 34 meatballs with a standard cookie scoop.
- Boil the meatballs – Don’t hesitate to drop raw meatballs directly into your soup. Cooking them this way makes them super soft and tender.
- Add spinach at the end – Wait until the soup is finished to add the spinach leaves. The hot broth will gently wilt the leaves, making them soft and tender.
- Serving – I love enjoying this cozy soup with freshly grated parmesan, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and a slice of crusty bread. YUM.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally published November 8, 2012 and has been updated throughout.
- Maple Air Fryer Pears - September 16, 2024
- Nutty Chocolate Bars - August 20, 2024
- Mango Beef Curry (aka Marrakesh Beef) - August 19, 2024
That looks REALLY yummy!
I just love soup, especially this time of the year. Love your blog, added it to my blogroll.
Thank you ladies! Kathy, I am delighted that you enjoy my page! Your blog is awesome! 🙂
Really yummy soup! Thanks for the recipe!
I have been trying different paleo meatball recipes and just made this last night. It’s the best one so far! Delicious! Thank you so much!
Thank you Anita! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them! 🙂
Amee, thank you! Beautiful soup! This is one of my faves and this one is just so amazing!
Thank you so much for your review Olga! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
This sounds delicious! Have you ever made this in a slow cooker?
Thanks Katie! I haven’t tried the slow cooker but I bet it would be great. I would quickly brown the meatballs first before adding to the slow cooker.