This Meatball Tortellini Soup is a go-to when you need a hearty, satisfying meal that doesn’t take all day. It’s packed with rich tomato broth, tender Italian meatballs, cheesy tortellini, and as much spinach as your people will eat.

Tortellini and Meatball Soup

This soup really has it all. Not only are there bite-sized meatballs and cheesy tortellini, but there’s garlic, herbs, and a Parmigiano rind in there too. Make it for a busy weeknight or a chilly Sunday when you want something comforting but don’t feel like babysitting a pot all afternoon.

The meatballs can be homemade or store-bought, depending on what you’ve got time for. Browning them in the pot adds a little extra flavor before they finish cooking in the broth. You can also bake them if you don’t feel like pan-frying.

Tossing in the tortellini near the end keeps them from getting mushy, and fresh spinach wilts just enough in the hot broth without turning into soup sludge. Add a Parmigiano rind while it simmers and finish with fresh basil and cheese. It’s rich, warming, and just plain good.

This is actually another take on my Sausage Tortellini Soup.

Why You’ll Love This Dish

One Pot Meal – Meat, veggies, and pasta in one easy dish!
Hearty And Filling – Packed with protein and carbs. This one has everything!
Family Favorite – Kid-friendly and flavorful enough for the grownups.
Great For Leftovers – The flavors only get better the next day. Easy meal prep win!
Fast For What You Get – Big flavor without hours of cooking. Quick and efficient.

Try with my Homemade Marinara!

Recipe Shopping List

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Italian Meatballs – Homemade or store-bought, browned for flavor and texture
Onion – Adds savory depth to the base
Garlic – Builds the base of the soup’s flavor
Dried Oregano – Earthy, classic Italian seasoning
Dried Basil – Sweet and herbal, pairs with tomatoes
Red Pepper Flakes – Optional heat that rounds out the flavor
Diced Tomatoes – Brings body and acidity to the broth
Tomato Sauce – Smooths out the broth and deepens the tomato flavor
Bay Leaves – Adds a subtle background flavor during simmering
Chicken Stock – The liquid base for the soup
Olive Oil – For sautéing and browning
Parmigiano Reggiano Rind – Adds umami and richness while the soup simmers
Tortellini – Spinach and cheese-filled works best
Fresh Spinach – Wilts into the soup and adds a green boost
Fresh Basil – Adds a bright, fresh finish
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano – For finishing the soup with flavor and texture

In the mood for Ramen? Make some!

How To Make This Recipe

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Brown The Meatballs – Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Brown the meatballs evenly and remove from the pot.
Sauté Aromatics – Add more oil if needed. Cook onions and garlic over medium until soft. Stir in oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes.
Build The Broth – Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, chicken stock, and the cheese rind. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add Meatballs And Pasta – Return the meatballs to the pot with tortellini and spinach. Simmer until tortellini is tender.
Finish With Fresh Herbs – Stir in fresh basil and grated Reggiano. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Make your own Chicken Stock!

FAQ

What broth is best for this soup?

You can find a variety of broths in boxes, cans, and even freshly made in the deli section. For this recipe, I suggest chicken broth. Low sodium varieties are fine to use.

This recipe will work just as well with beef or vegetable broths as well. You might have those handy in the cabinet so don’t feel like you have to run to the store if you don’t have chicken broth.

What kind of tomato sauce works best?

If you want to keep it super simple, get your favorite jar of pasta sauce. There are so many varieties and everyone has a preference. For the recipe, I recommend one that is richly flavored with garlic and herbs.

If you like mushrooms, then go ahead and use a tomato sauce with mushrooms in it. Mushrooms work really well with spinach so it doesn’t throw anything off at all. Mushrooms always make spaghetti better!

What kind of meatballs work best?

I have a few meatball recipes that can work well. You could do my Traegar Smoked Meatballs or my Mini Meatballs. You can also go with store-bought frozen meatballs if you want to keep things short and sweet.

What kind of tortellini is best?

Fresh tortellini is best for this application, but you can use frozen in a pinch. I like to use a cheese and spinach filled tortellini in this soup to bring together the broth and spinach.

If you are feeling really frisky, you could make your own tortellini. I have a great pasta recipe here that I use for ravioli that would work well, or here’s a great tortellini tutorial and recipe from The Culinary Ginger that details how tortellini is made along with her own dough recipe.

For the filling, I’d recommend this spinach and ricotta filling from Italian Food Forever. Looks incredible!

Give it a little extra (if you want)

Yes, you can just add pre-made spaghetti sauce and the chicken stock together and call it good. That works just fine, and is actually what I end up doing about 75% of the time, but if you want to give it a little extra love, start the soup by sauteing the onions, garlic, and tomatoes with some Italian herbs on high heat.

Then, add the sauce first and simmer it for about 20 minutes to reduce it a bit. The tomato sauce will lose some water content and the flavors intensify. Adding the stock brings it all together.

Fresh or frozen spinach?

I recommend using fresh spinach leaves, and not a package of frozen spinach for this.

If you must use frozen spinach, then thaw and drain it first. Otherwise it will water down the stock too much. The whole idea is to create those concentrated flavors similar to lasagna.

The goal is to get the spinach tortellini meatball soup to remind you of a great pasta dish like lasagna.

Add in some grilled spinach if you want to add a little wood-fired flavor to the mix.

How to store meatball soup

This soup freezes well, but only if you omit the tortellini. I highly recommend adding only as much tortellini as your family will eat in one sitting.
Frozen pasta tends to get mushy and gross in the reheating process, and that’s the last thing you want in a big bowl of soup.

More hearty SOUP RECIPES here!

Serve This With…

Here are some classic sides that go perfect with your spinach tortellini meatball soup:

Yield: 8 servings

Tortellini Soup with Meatballs and Spinach

A delicious and easy soup that is full of ground beef, spinach, tomatoes, cheese, and tortellini. Quick family favorite dinner option that is hearty and comforting.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds Italian meatballs

Sauce

1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
16 ounces tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
8 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
Parmigiano Reggiano rind
1 package tortellini (spinach and cheese-filled is ideal here)
fresh spinach (as much as you'd like, depending on how much your family likes spinach)
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions

Put your meatballs into a large stockpot over medium to medium-high heat with a bit of oil on the bottom of the pan. Brown the meatballs evenly on all sides, and remove from the pan.
Add in a little more oil, if necessary, and then add in the chopped onions and garlic. Reduce the heat down to medium, and continue cooking until the onions are soft. Remove any excess fat from the pan. Add the oregano, basil, and red pepper. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, and chicken stock right into the pot. Let all of it come to a boil over medium to medium-high heat, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Add your Reggiano rind at this point.
Let the soup simmer for an additional 20-25 minutes, and then carefully add your meatballs, tortellini, and spinach into the simmering pot.
Cook the pasta in the soup according to the package directions, which are usually pretty short for fresh pasta. As soon as the pasta is done, remove from heat, stir in fresh basil and grated Reggiano.

Meatball Tortellini Soup