Grassfed Meatball Soup is the perfect cozy dinner during the busy weeks leading up to Christmas. Adding pesto to the meatballs keeps them tender and packed with flavor without any extra fuss. Simmered in a rich tomato broth with hearty veggies and tiny pasta, this soup is simple, comforting, and makes plenty of leftovers to keep you covered during the holiday hustle. It’s sure to be on repeat all season long! 

INGREDIENTS

For the Meatballs –

• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, Italian is best, but plain works too
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp whole milk
• 3 Tbsp pesto
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Lb. 1915 Farm Grassfed Ground Beef
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2-3 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

For the Soup –

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 3 ribs celery, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 7 oz pastina pasta (mini stars or acini de pepe work great)
• ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• Freshly grated parm, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Meatballs – In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, egg, & milk. Whisk to combine and let sit 5 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to soak up most of the liquid. Add the pesto, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine, then add the ground beef, using a fork or your hands to gently combine – take care not to overmix, leading to less tender meatballs.

Scoop meatballs using a cookie scoop or large spoon, gently rolling into balls and placing on a plate or sheet tray. 

Place a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add about 1 Tbsp olive oil, and let that heat through. Add meatballs one at a time to the pan, careful not to nudge them once they've been placed. Let sear, untouched, a few minutes until they release without much effort using a metal tong, then flip over. Once seared on both sides, remove to a plate and set aside.

Make the Soup – place a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil and let that heat up. Next, add the diced carrot, celery, and onion. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are softening. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. 

Next, stir in the tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes, mixing well, until the tomato paste has darkened a bit. Then, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to a simmer and add the meatballs back to the pot. Cover pot and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the pastina, simmering for the amount of time the pasta you're using takes to cook (for the acini de pepe I used, it was about 10 minutes). Stir often to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot and be sure to test the pasta's done-ness. 

Stir in torn fresh basil leaves and check for seasoning – adding more salt or pepper as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and top with fresh grated parm and additional basil leaves. Excellent with crusty bread for dipping...enjoy!

We hope you like this recipe! If you’d like to share your delicious dish on Instagram, don’t forget to tag us @1915_Farm

P.S. If you love our delicious grassfed ground beef – consider subscribing to the Grassroots Meat Club (ships free in TX, reduced in other states). Each Grassroots Meat Club box includes a variety of hand-selected grassfed and pasture raised meats, such as chicken breasts, chicken tenders, leg quarters, wings, thighs, drumsticks, whole chicken, ground beef, kabobs, stew meat, stir fry, cutlets, London broil (top round), beef roasts, beef ossobuco, short ribs, various sausages, pork roasts, pork chops, bacon, ground pork, fajita meat, country style ribs, spare ribs, and bacon!

Recipe adapted from So Much Food Blog