mini meatball soup

A hearty, filling soup inspired by Italian wedding soup. 

Mini Meatball & Dumpling Soup Recipe

I’m not going to lie to you—this soup is a labor of love. Even more so than you’d think because I used homemade bone broth that I let cook for 8 hours the day before. If you have the time—and energy—to do it, I highly recommend it. The resulting soup is rich, flavorful, and so comforting on a cold day. With cute mini meatballs (they’re seriously small!) and pillowy dumplings, this soup was inspired by hearty Italian wedding soup. I added extra carrots because I love them and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to brighten the flavors. 

Ingredients for Mini Meatball & Dumpling Soup

  • 1 yellow onion, chopped

  • 2 large carrots, chopped

  • 11 cups bone broth

  • Cilantro, to serve

  • Juice of 1/2 lemon, to serve 

For the dumplings

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 red onion, very finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup oat milk
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

How to Make Mini Meatball & Dumpling Soup

  1. Make the mini meatballs. Break up beef with fingers, being careful not to overwork it. Add all of the remaining ingredients and use your hands to combine. 

  2. Take 1-2 teaspoons of the beef mixture with your fingers and roll into a ball. Repeat with all the beef mixture. 

  3. Next, make the dumpling dough. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix together with your hands. Keep adding water 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the flour comes up off the edges. Cover with a damp paper towel until you're ready to use.

  4. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onions to the pot and cook for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. 

  5. Add the carrot to the pot and cook for another 5-7 minutes. 

  6. Pour the bone broth into the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs to the pot. 

  7. Meanwhile, roll the dumpling dough into a long log and cut into 1” pieces. Once all of the dumplings are cut, add them to the pot to cook. 

  8. Let simmer until the dumplings and meatballs are fully cooked. 

  9. To serve, garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice. 

What You’ll Need

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