This Slow Cooker Spaghetti Meatball Soup is pure comfort food! A wonderful tomato soup filled with flavorful meatballs and tender spaghetti!
You guys I have been trying to come up with more slow cooker/crock pot recipes for the blog as I have realized I don’t have many available. But it’s really really hard to photo crock pot meals and make them look good. Sure, they may taste amazing but we eat with our eyes first and it it doesn’t look good it won’t matter what I say about it. So, I am getting a lot of styling practice in and do you know how hard it is to style noodles!!!
I wanted to make spaghetti and meatballs in the crock pot and instead it turned into this wonderful slow cooker spaghetti meatball soup! It is a wonderfully comforting meal and easy to make!
You will start by making your meatballs and lightly browning them in a skillet. While they are cooking throw the rest of the soup ingredients minus the pasta into the crock pot. I decided to amp up the veggies a little with carrots and celery plus they add some bulk and flavor as well. Just chop them into smaller pieces if you have kids that don’t like cooked carrots. My son hates cooked carrots and he loved this soup.
It is flavored with lots of herbs like Italian seasoning, parsley, basil and a bay leaf. Plus, a generous helping of Parmesan cheese mixed in. I based this soup from my slow cooker spaghetti sauce only it’s saucier and more soup like. This soup will thicken as it cools and does become spaghetti and meatballs. So, if you have leftovers and want it to be more like soup, stir in a little extra broth to loosen it up.
After you have all your soup ingredients into the crock pot add in the meatballs. It is ok if they aren’t cooked all the way through because they will finish in the slow cooker. 🙂 I just wanted to brown them a little for some extra flavor and to help them keep their shape especially if you plan to cook your soup for 8+ hours.
Towards the end of cooking break your spaghetti in half and stir it in to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until tender. Now comes the fun part- EATING! I love to top each bowl with a generous dusting of grated Parmesan and even a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella would be nice. I will warn you this soup is a bit messy! Ok, that’s a lie if you have little ones it will be really messy but that’s all part of eating this slow cooker spaghetti meatball soup! Just maybe head straight to the tub after supper! 🙂
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Meatball Soup
Ingredients
- MEATBALLS:
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup quick oats
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- White wine or broth to deglaze pan optional
- SOUP:
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 whole bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces dry uncooked spaghetti
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the onion, garlic, oats, milk, cheese, egg, worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Mix well then add in the ground beef and mix just until combined. Heat a large skillet with a little olive oil and shape meatballs into small 1" balls. Add to skillet and cook just until browned on all sides. Don't worry if they aren't cooked all the way through they will finish cooking in the slow cooker.
- While the meatballs are browning add the soup ingredients EXCEPT for the spaghetti to a large 6 quart slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Add in the meatballs then cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours. In the last 15-20 minutes of cooking add in the uncooked spaghetti. (I like to break it in half) Serve immediately garnished with additional Parmesan cheese or shredded mozzarella if desired.
I’m so glad to have found your recipe. I’d made this same soup years ago but lost the recipe. Ground chicken is also a good option. Can wait to make it in my Dutch oven pot, another alternate way if you don’t have a slow cooker or prefer not to use it. Thank you for sharing!
YAY! So glad you found me too!! Hope you like it and thank you for sharing!!
Great chilly day comfort food! We followed the directions exactly as written, and there was no liquid left after adding the dry spaghetti. It was like eating a delicious bowl of spaghetti and meatballs!! I would also add a teaspoon or so of sugar just to mellow the tang of all the tomato products. We don’t eat beef or pork, so we used organic ground turkey. Would definitely make again. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Thank you so much for sharing your tips!! Glad to know it works well using ground turkey! If you would like it to be a little soupier you could try adding in a little more broth. Thanks again!
This was good! Very filling, and rather thick……I did leave out the tomato paste, as it didn’t seem necessary with all the crushed tomatoes. It was especially tasty the next day, as all the flavors seemed to meld . My son was ecstatic to have big bowls of one of his favorite foods! We’ll be having this again.
I am so glad you liked the soup!! I have to agree that any soup tastes better the next day! Thanks again! 🙂
Sounds good. Will have to try soon.
Thanks Grandma, hope you like it!