Lemon Chicken Meatball Soup
This chicken meatball soup is cozy, fresh, and a twist on classic chicken noodle soup. It’s made with tender homemade chicken meatballs, vegetables, and pasta in a lemony broth that feels comforting without being too heavy.
The Best Things About This Recipe
- Comforting but not heavy – The lemon and spinach keep the soup light and fresh.
- Tender, flavorful meatballs – Made with simple pantry ingredients and are tender and juicy.
- One-pot dinner – Everything cook in the same pot including the pasta and meatballs.
Ingredients
- Ground chicken
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery, and spinach
- Mini bow tie pasta
- Seasonings: Dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
- Breadcrumbs
- Milk
- Egg
- Chicken broth
- Lemon juice and zest
- Fresh parsley
- Olive oil
How to Make the Recipe
Make the Soup
First you sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in a large pot. Once they’re softened, add the chop spinach.
Then you add the broth, cover the pot, and simmer the soup while you make the meatballs.
Make the Chicken Meatballs
While the broth and veggies simmer, mix the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the mixture to form each meatball.
Cook the Pasta and Meatball in the Soup
Add the pasta to the soup. Simmer it for five minutes and then drop the meatballs into the soup. Simmer the soup until the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta is tender.
Add the Garnishes
Stir in the rest of the parsley and lemon juice just before serving the soup.
Helpful Tips
- Meatballs: It works best to cook the meatballs in the soup. Precooked meatballs will end up overcooked.
- Pasta – I’ve only tested this recipe with mini bow tie pasta. Other small shapes that have the same cooking time should work fine.
- Simmering: Keep an eye on the heat so the soup maintains a gentle simmer. Boiling can make the meatballs tough.
- Leftovers: They’re delicious, but the pasta will absorb the broth. Add more broth when you warm the soup up.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
Lemon Chicken Meatball Soup
A cozy, one-pot chicken meatball soup made with pasta, spinach, and a bright lemony broth.
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots diced in ½” pieces
- 1 large celery rib finely chopped
- 4 ounces spinach chopped
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley divided
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cups mini bow tie pasta
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Stir and cook them until softened, about five minutes or so. Add the chopped spinach and stir until it wilts.
- Add 8 cups chicken broth and bring the soup to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer the soup while you prepare the meatballs. Keep an eye on the pot and adjust the heat to maintain the simmer, as needed.
- Make the meatballs: Mix ¼ cup breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon each of oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Add ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper plus ¼ cup of parsley and stir to combine. Add the ground chicken and mix until just combined.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture to form each meatball and set them aside on a large plate or sheet pan.
- Take the lid off the pot and add the pasta. Simmer the pasta in the soup for five minutes. Drop the meatballs into the soup and simmer them for three to five minutes or until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Stir in the lemon juice and ¼ cup of parsley before serving.
Notes
You may need adjust the salt depending on the chicken broth you use. Give the soup a taste at the end and add more if you think it needs it.
A tablespoon cookie scoop makes it easy to scoop and form the meatballs.
If you can’t find mini bow tie pasta, you can use a similar short pasta shape that cooks in the same amount of time like mini penne, rotini, small shells, or fusilli. You can also use dried egg noodles.
If you have leftover soup, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The pasta will absorb some of the broth while it sits, so you may want extra broth on hand to add when you warm it up.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 2225mg | Potassium: 1161mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 8490IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 4mg
Sign up here to get recipes delivered to your email!
More Recipes with Ground Chicken
- Easy Ground Chicken Taco Bowls
- Chicken Spinach Meatballs
- One Pot Chicken Lasagna
- Baked Lemon Chicken Meatballs
I hope you try this cozy chicken meatball noodle soup soon!
Happy cooking,
This lemon chicken meatball soup post was updated from the archives. It was first published in September 2016.