Description

This Slow Cooker Meatball Soup is a hearty and comforting meal packed with Italian-style meatballs, fresh vegetables, and tender ditalini pasta, all simmered to perfection in a rich tomato and cream broth. Perfect for an easy, hands-off dinner that delivers big on flavor and warmth.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Vegetables

20 ounces frozen Italian style meatballs
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 cups fresh baby spinach

Broth and Seasonings

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
6 ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme

Thickener and Dairy

2 tablespoons corn starch
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded

Pasta

16 ounces dry ditalini pasta

Instructions

Prepare and Combine Ingredients: Add the frozen Italian style meatballs, diced yellow onion, minced garlic, low-sodium chicken broth, canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, black pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, and dried thyme into the slow cooker. Stir these ingredients together until well combined.
Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or on low heat for 6-8 hours, allowing the flavors to fully develop and the meatballs to cook through.
Make the Cream Mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together the corn starch and heavy cream until smooth and free of lumps. Then, pour this mixture into the slow cooker soup to thicken the broth.
Add Pasta, Cheese, and Spinach: Stir in the dry ditalini pasta, finely shredded Parmesan cheese, and fresh baby spinach. Continue cooking for another 15-30 minutes, or until the pasta reaches your desired level of firmness and the spinach has wilted.
Serve: Give the soup a good stir before serving to evenly distribute ingredients and flavors. Enjoy warm for a satisfying meal.

Notes

For a thicker soup, you can add an additional tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with cream during step 3.
Use low-sodium broth to control salt levels and adjust seasoning at the end if needed.
If ditalini pasta is unavailable, you can substitute with small pasta shapes like elbow macaroni or small shells.
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and consume within 3-4 days for best quality.
This soup freezes well; reheat thoroughly before serving.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3-8 hours (depending on slow cooker setting)
Category: Soup
Method: Slow Cooking
Cuisine: Italian-American

Keywords: slow cooker meal, meatball soup, Italian meatballs, comfort food, easy dinner, slow cooker soup, creamy soup, ditalini pasta soup