Spaghetti & Meatball Soup

I made this Spaghetti & Meatball Soup last night and I was so excited about the leftovers that I had it again for lunch and dinner today – it’s that good! I know I already gushed about my love for meatballs in my Slow Cooker Meatballs & Marinara post, but get ready for some more gushing. They’re one of my very favorite foods after all. This soup let me feel like I was curling up with a big, full bowl of hot and comforting spaghetti and meatballs (perfect for the rainy weather we’ve been having) but the whole bowl rings in at just 5 WW Points and under 250 calories! That’s way less than a typical bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. The veggies in the soup are roughly the same size as the spaghetti pieces and when you eat it all together it feels and tastes like you’re getting so much spaghetti in there. The mini meatballs are moist, flavorful and absolutely delicious…not to mention downright adorable. I scaled down my normal meatball recipe and used ground turkey breast instead of beef because it just felt right.

Not only is this Spaghetti & Meatball Soup filling, delicious and the perfect way to kill a spaghetti and meatballs craving, but it actually comes together pretty quickly. I shredded my veggies using a box grater but you could shred them using a food processor to save time. This is also the type of soup that is hearty enough to serve as a main course without question. I’d serve it with a side salad and a piece of crusty bread for a full, comforting Fall or Winter dinner. I see this soup being a crowd pleaser for all ages, and it’s a great way to sneak some veggies in for picky kids. If you love spaghetti and meatballs even a fraction as much as I do, you’re going to love this recipe. To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!

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Spaghetti & Meatball Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Calories: 244kcal

This dish feels like curling up with a big bowl full of comforting spaghetti and meatballs, as a soup!

Yield: 6 (1-1/2 cup) servings

Ingredients

• 6 oz extra lean 99% lean ground turkey (or chicken) breast
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
• 1 ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon skim milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 medium carrots, grated (I used a box grater)
• 1 small zucchini, grated (I used a box grater)
• ½ medium onion, diced small
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt & pepper
• 32 oz fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
• 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup uncooked broken wheat spaghetti pieces, 1 inch sticks
• 1 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, garlic powder, tablespoon of grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, ¾ teaspoon of the Italian seasoning, egg white and milk. Using your hands (or a spoon), mush all the ingredients together until well combined. Roll meat mixture into 30 separate (3/4” – 1”) mini meatballs.
• In a large stock pot (or a large skillet, which is what I used before realizing you could totally use one pot for the entire meal and have one less to wash!), bring 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the oil and cook them, stirring occasionally until all sides are browned. Remove meatballs to a dish and set aside.
• Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the pot and continue to heat to medium. Add the carrots, zucchini, onion and garlic and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
• Add the meatballs, chicken broth, marinara sauce, red pepper flakes and remaining ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the pot with the vegetables. Stir together and cover. Bring the mixture to a boil, uncover and lower the heat to a simmer. Add the spaghetti pieces and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the pasta and the meatballs are cooked through. Add the Parmesan cheese in the last couple minutes of the simmer and stir in.

Notes

To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!

Nutrition Information:
244 calories, 30 g carbs, 9 g sugars, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 18 g protein, 5 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)

MyWW SmartPoints per (1 1/2 cups) serving: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Green: 6 SmartPoints/ Blue: 6 SmartPoints/ Purple: 4 SmartPoints

Weight Watchers Points Plus:
6 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Author: Emily Bites

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Comfort Food, Easy Soup, WW Soup