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–+ servings
three white bowls of meatball soup with vegetables.
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4.63 from 24 votes

Sicilian Meatball Soup with Cabbage

Sicilian Meatball Soup with vegetables and cabbage is a hearty, delicious and comforting one-pot meal the whole family will love!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Dishes, One-Pot Meal
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 462kcal
Author: Julia

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

  • 2 pounds ground beef*
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 Tbsp raisins optional
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour**
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese grated, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

For the Soup:

  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 large carrots chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 quart chicken beef or vegetable broth
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup full-bodied red wine such as Cabernet or Syrah optional
  • Rind of parmesan cheese optional
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • ½ head of cabbage core removed and discarded, sliced (OR 1 cup of uncooked macaroni/shell pasta)
  • 1 zucchini squash chopped

Instructions

Prepare the Meatballs:

  • Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a large mixing bowl. Stir everything together well until all of the ingredients are combined. Note: I use my hands to squish everything together. If you own a stand mixer, you can also mix the meat in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
    Meatball ingredients in a mixing bowl, ready to be mixed to make meatballs
  • Form balls out of the meat mixture.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of avocado oil or olive oil. Once the skillet is hot, carefully place the meatballs on the hot surface and brown on two sides for 2 to 3 minutes each.
    Tomato sauce being poured into a pot with veggies and meatballs.
  • While the meatballs are cooking, start the soup in a separate pot.

Make the Soup:

  • Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to a large stock pot (I use my Dutch oven) with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil or olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
    Onions, carrots, and celery sautéing in a large soup pot.
  • Allow the vegetables to cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes (note: to speed up this process, sprinkle the vegetables with salt, stir well and cover the pot for a couple of minutes). 
  • Transfer the browned meat balls to the pot.
    Meatballs on top of vegetables in a Dutch oven.
  • Add in the remaining ingredients except for the zucchini and cabbage, and give everything a gentle stir. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a full boil.
    Tomato sauce being poured into a pot with veggies and meatballs.
  • Once the soup reaches a boil, add the chopped zucchini and cabbage. Stir everything together, getting the cabbage to sink into the soup as best as possible.
    Soup with zucchini and cabbage just added in.
  • Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low (or a gentle simmer). Cook, covered for 30 to 40 minutes. 
    Meatball soup cooking on the stove top.
  • Serve soup in big bowls with rustic crusty bread, and enjoy!
    Horizontal image of pot of Sicilian meatball soup with a ladle scooping some of it out.

Video

Notes

*Use ground turkey, ground elk, or Italian sausage if you prefer.
**Or gluten-free breadcrumbs or regular bread crumbs.
Traditionally, Sicilian Meatball Soup has some form of pasta, either macaroni or shell pasta. If desired, add dry pasta to the soup and cook until al dente or replace the cabbage with pasta.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 6) | Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 1173mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g