Kale Noodle Soup with Sausage Meatballs

Kale noodle soup with sausage meatballs is a fantastic fall soup! It’s full of flavor, packed with greens, and perfect for dunking some crusty bread!

It’s no secret how much I love a good soup. Especially when it involves mini meatballs and pasta. This tasty kale noodle soup with sausage meatballs is inspired by Italian wedding soup, which happens to be one of my favorite soups.

Using sausage to make the meatballs adds SO much flavor. It’s a bonus that they are super easy to mix up. Kale is my green of choice for adding to soups because it holds up well and is easy to find. And adding pasta is a given, because (almost) every soup is better with it!

This soup is hearty, comforting, and oh so tasty!

Kale Noodle Soup with Sausage Meatballs

The process to make this soup is really simple. Mix up the meatballs by combining Italian sausage with an egg, tomato paste, and breadcrumbs. I like to use hot sausage because we like things spicy, but mild will work too!

Brown up the meatballs right in your soup pot and then set them aside while you sauté the aromatics. Once the onions and carrots are nicely cooked down, we add the broth, meatballs, and kale to the pot and bring it to a simmer. It only has to simmer for 10 minutes!

Next up you’ll beat an egg with parmesan cheese and then stream that into the soup while stirring to create egg ribbons. This is one of my favorite aspects of Italian wedding soup, so I just had to include it here!

You may notice we don’t add the pasta right into the soup. This is because whenever you add pasta to a soup it always ends up becoming soggy. So, I always cook it separate and then add it to the individual bowls. Yes, it’s a bit annoying to do this, but it’s worth it. No one wants soggy pasta!

All that’s left is to garnish with extra parm, fresh parsley, and red pepper flakes if you like. And definitely don’t forget the crusty bread!

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Kale Noodle Soup with Sausage Meatballs

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Kale noodle soup with sausage meatballs is a fantastic fall soup! It’s full of flavor and packed with greens and pasts – perfect for dunking some crusty bread!

Serves: 6 Servings

Ingredients

Sausage Meatballs:

• ¾ lb. Italian Sausage, Hot or Mild, removed from casing
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
• ¼ Cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
• Olive Oil, for frying

For the Soup:

• 1 Medium Yellow Onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 Large Carrots, peeled and diced
• 8 Cups Chicken Broth
• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
• 1 Bunch Fresh Kale, finely chopped
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese, plus more for topping
• 2 Cups Cooked Small Pasta*
• Fresh Parsley, finely chopped for garnish
• Red Pepper Flakes, optional for garnish

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sausage, egg, tomato paste, and breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined. Form into mini meatballs. Heat a large soup pot over medium/high heat and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Cook the sausage meatballs until browned on all sides, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Add the onion and carrots, season generously with salt and pepper, and sauté until nicely cooked down, about 15 minutes.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, reserved meatballs, and kale. Bring the soup to a simmer and allow to cook for about 10 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Stream the egg into the pot of soup while stirring the soup to create ribbons of cooked egg. Season the soup, to taste. I love lots of black pepper in here!
5. To serve, add about 1/3 cup of the cooked pasta to a soup bowl and then ladle the soup overtop. Garnish with parsley, red pepper flakes, and more cheese. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*I like to cook the pasta separately from the soup to avoid it from getting soggy. I also store them separately for leftovers!

More Soups to Try!

Butternut Squash Leek Soup with Garlic Herb Croutons

Vegan Roasted Carrot Soup with Crispy Lentils

Easy Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup