By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 2, 2026
Serves 4
247 cal · 65 min
Meatball Soup
Recipe GLPR57efbda90c7f85
A nourishing and comforting soup featuring homemade beef meatballs simmered in a rich broth with brown rice, aromatic oregano, and a medley of fresh vegetables. Easy to prepare and perfect for a wholesome meal.
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Ingredients
6 cups water
⅓ cup brown rice, uncooked
3 low-sodium beef bouillon cubes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
8 ounces lean ground beef
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
½ medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large egg
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, and spinach), chopped
Directions
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before beginning.
In a large pot, combine the water, uncooked brown rice, beef bouillon cubes, and dried oregano.
Place the pot over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
Stir well until the bouillon cubes are completely dissolved into the broth.
Reduce the heat to low and allow the broth to simmer gently.
While the broth simmers, combine the ground beef, finely chopped tomato, finely chopped onion, egg, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix gently with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and roll each into a firm meatball.
Carefully add all the meatballs to the simmering broth. Maintain a gentle simmer for 30 minutes, until the rice is mostly tender and the meatballs are partially cooked through.
Stir in the chopped fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, and spinach).
Continue simmering for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the meatballs are cooked through (no pink inside), the rice is fully tender, and the vegetables are soft. The meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot.
Comments
This is a straightforward one-pot weeknight meal with ingredients you'll find at any Charlotte grocer—ground beef, onion, tomato, and brown rice are staples at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, and ALDI. The stated 65 minutes is honest, though you should account for another 5 to 10 minutes of hands-on work to mix and form meatballs if you're not cutting corners. The cost per serving lands around $2 to $2.50, driven mainly by ground beef and bouillon; nothing exotic pushes you to a second store. It reheats well the next day and feeds four as a complete bowl, though the recipe itself asks nothing special of the cook beyond basic stirring. The mix of beef, tomato, and rice works reliably, though it is not particularly regional to North Carolina or especially memorable—it is solid comfort food, not inspired.
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