Simple one pot vegan meatball soup recipe
Grandma’s simple one pot vegan meatball soup recipe – with a twist. A totally tasty, completely irresistible easy meatball soup made with Italian seasoning, easy potato dumplings and tender vegetables bathed in a luscious soup. Get ready to make a double batch, because everyone is going to want extra helpings.
Jump to RecipeSometimes you just want a delicious easy and quick dinner. One of those satisfying meals that everyone will like but it won’t take you hours to make. And you also want it to be a nourishing and healthy dinner. I get it and that’s where my grandma’s simple one pot meatball soup comes into the equation. It’s so easy to make, and if you have leftover mashed potatoes you can skip a meal prep step and jump straight to the soup making.
Potato dumplings soup – good food for vegans
Cozy, rich and oh so tasty, this simple one pot plant based meatball soup is a satisfying meal any day of the week. It’s a great all-year round soup that can be made with the vegetables of the season. In winter you can add parsnip, leeks, carrots and season with sage and warm winter spices. For summer, you can lighten up the flavors by adding fresh dill and basil.
This easy meatball soup is my vegan version of my grandmother’s favorite cozy soup. Made with gluten-free Swedish potato dumplings (kroppkakor) the way my grandmother learned to make them as a young nurse working in Sweden many years ago. I’ve added my vegan twist to the filling. Originally the filling featured regular cheese and bell peppers – I’ve replaced that with a tasty melty cheese flavored stuffing made with silken tofu, nutritional yeast, bell peppers and seasonings. It became an instant family favorite soup.
Gnocchi meatballs soup recipe
These tasty stuffed potato nuggets are like a gnocchi stuffed wonder bathed in a creamy white soup. We’re talking silky rich flavors, warm luscious soup and vegan stuffed gnocchi.
Ingredients for the vegan meatballs for meatballs soup
Starchy potatoes – you need about 4 large (750g) starchy potatoes such as russet potatoes for this recipe. The starch helps bind the ingredients together as they morph into tender potato dumplings. Yum! Alternatively you can use leftover mashed potatoes to make these tasty vegan meatballs.
Red bell peppers – finely chopped. The bell peppers adds a spicy juicy crunch to the vegan meatballs that’s the ideal combo with the melty vegan “cheese”. Yum.
Garlic and seasoning – oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and fresh basil all work together to make this meatball soup taste like a fragrant bowl of Mediterranean comfort food.
Silken tofu – we are using creamy silken tofu as our cheese stuffing. It creates that light and creamy cheese texture that’s just the right kind of melty and delicious. So good. If you don’t want to use silken tofu you can replace it with your preferred vegan mozzarella type of cheese.
Nutritional yeast – optional but definitely recommended. Nutritional yeast adds that irresistibly cheesy flavor that takes the simple creamy filling to the next level. Plus, nutritional yeast also adds lots of extra nutrients like vitamin B and more.
Carrots – thinly sliced carrots make the tender vegetable base in this white soup. You can always add extra vegetables or replace the carrots with other veggies like zucchini or squash.
Celery – the celery gives the soup a fresh taste and crunchy texture.
Vegetable bouillon or vegetable stock – I like to use vegetable bouillon cubes that dissolves in the soup because they have a more rich and intense flavor that adds extra depth to the soup. If you prefer vegetable stock simply replace half of the water with vegetable stock.
How to make simple healthy vegan meatballs soup
First step, making the filling. The filling is easy to make with a cheese flavor and melty oozy texture thanks to the nutritional yeast and the silken tofu.
Tip: To make the filling you can either chop the bell peppers by hand or use a food processor to chop and mix everything in minutes.
Use a food processor or mix in a bowl – combine silken tofu with the chopped bell peppers, minced garlic, oregano, basil and nutritional yeast. Set aside.
Making the best easy vegan soup dumplings
Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until they are completely tender when you stick a fork in them. Drain away the potato water and pour the potatoes into a blender or food processor. Season with salt, thyme, a pinch of pepper, and the flax eggs and blitz until the potatoes are mashed. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to get everything blended.
Next, add the tapioca flour and blend until the mashed potatoes form a dough that’s thick enough to hold together and shape.
Roll the dough into a long log and cut it into 12-14 equal pieces (depending on how big you want your meatballs to be you can make more or less meatballs). Roll each dumpling into a ball, then press a hole into the middle to make space for the filling.
Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of the meatballs, then gently fold the potato dough around and over the filling so it’s completely enclosed in the meatballs.
How to make simple gluten-free meatball and vegetables soup
Heat olive oil in a large pot and add the sliced carrots, celery stalks, bell peppers, and garlic. Season with oregano, basil and thyme. Let the vegetables cook for a minute to allow the garlic to release its flavor. Now, add all the water and dissolve the vegetable bouillon in the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and add the potato meatballs.
Leave the soup to gently simmer for 15 minutes (it’s important not to cook at too high a heat as boiling may make the potato dumplings break apart).
Serve the soup with your favorite soup toppings and enjoy.
Easy way to make gluten-free dumpling soup in a crockpot
Pour the water into the crock pot and add the diced potatoes.
Press Steam and adjust time down to 8 minutes. Press Start/Stop. When the cook time has elapsed (timer will beep) do a QPR (quick pressure release) by flipping open the steam release valve. Check that the potatoes are cooked tender by sticking a fork into them.
Remove potatoes from the pot and place in a blender or food processor. Season with salt, thyme, a pinch of pepper, and the flax eggs and blitz until the potatoes are mashed. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to get everything blended.
Next, add the tapioca flour and blend until the mashed potatoes form a dough that’s thick enough to hold together and shape.
Roll the dough into a long log and cut it into 12-14 equal pieces (depending on how big you want your meatballs to be you can make more or less meatballs). Roll each dumpling into a ball, then press a hole into the middle to make space for the filling.
Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of the meatballs, then gently fold the potato dough around and over the filling so it’s completely enclosed in the meatballs.
Now combine all the ingredients except the meatballs in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. 30-minutes before serving, carefully add in the potato meatballs and cook on low for the remainder of time. Taste test and add more salt if needed.
Serve the soup with your favorite soup toppings and enjoy.
How to make simple meatball soup in an instant pot
- Pour the water into the inner pot of the instant pot and transfer the diced potatoes to the pot.
- Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and make sure it’s set to its “sealing” position. Select the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” setting, and set the cooking time to 3 minutes at high pressure. If your pot features an automated pressure release, set it for a quick release. (The pot will take about 10 minutes to release the pressure.)
- Push the pressure release button and use a pair of heat safe oven mitts to make sure you don’t burn yourself when you remove the lid. Carefully check the potatoes are tender before removing them from the instant pot.
- Now, pour the potatoes into a blender or food processor. Season with salt, thyme, a pinch of pepper, and the flax eggs and blitz until the potatoes are mashed. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to get everything blended.
- Next, add the tapioca flour and blend until the mashed potatoes form a dough that’s thick enough to hold together and shape.
Rolling the vegan dumpling meatballs
- Roll the dough into a long log and cut it into 12-14 equal pieces (depending on how big you want your meatballs to be you can make more or less meatballs). Roll each dumpling into a ball, then press a hole into the middle to make space for the filling.
- Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of the meatballs, then gently fold the potato dough around and over the filling so it’s completely enclosed in the meatballs.
- Turn on the sauté function on the Instant Pot. Heat the olive oil and add the sliced carrots, sliced celery stalks, bell peppers, and garlic. Season with oregano, basil and thyme. Let the vegetables cook for a minute to allow the garlic to release its flavor. Now, add all the water and dissolve the vegetable bouillon in the pot. Add all the seasonings and the remaining ingredients to the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Release the pressure.
- Serve the soup with your favorite soup toppings and enjoy.
The best meatball soup topping ideas:
Salsa – regular salsa, hot salsa, tomatillo salsa, or my easy tasty salsa (my favorite topping). You can never go wrong with a good salsa topping.
Crushed tortilla chips – crispy, crunchy and salty. Pretty much everything you need as a delicious topping you get in the humble tortilla chips.
Sour cream – whether vegan sour cream or regular sour cream, sour cream is always a great soup topping choice.
Hot sauce – because some people just need more spice in everything, all the time.
Sweet chili sauce – I would happily pour sweet chili sauce over just about anything…and that includes my easy vegan meatball soup. Yum.
French fried onions – crunchy, onion-y, and irresistible. French fried onions are an AMAZING soup topping.
Jalapeños and green chilies – if you want even more spice in your soup then this is the topping for you.
Shredded cheese – vegan or vegetarian shredded cheese melting into a hot bowlful of cozy soup? Yes, please.
FAQs
Make the soup and set it to cool on the counter. Once the soup is room temperature transfer it to a freezer safe container – like a plastic zip freezer bag or other container – and freeze the soup. If you have made a large batch, you can freeze the meatball soup in smaller batches that would only serve 1-2 people.
Meatball soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just defrost and reheat completely before serving.
Yes. This easy potato meatball soup is great as a Mediterranean diet meal. Eat it as a delicious filling dinner, and reheat leftovers for a healthy lunch the next day.
What to serve with vegan Potato Dumpling Soup
Simple one pot vegan meatballs soup recipe
Ingredients
- 4 (750g) Potatoes Starchy potatoes like Yukon Gold
- 1 cup (2-3dl) Tapioka Starch or Potato Starch
- 2 Flax Eggs or 2 other egg substitutes
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
Filling
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Basil
- ½ cup (85g) Silken Tofu
- 5 tbsp Nutritional Yeast optional but adds a great cheese flavor
For the Soup
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil or other vegetable oil
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 2 stalks Celery sliced
- 2 Carrots thinly sliced
- 2-3 cloves Garlic minced
- 7 cups (17dl) Water or vegetable stock
- 2 Vegetable Bouillon Cubes
- ½ tsp Dried Oregano
- ½ tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
Instructions
Making the filling
- Use a food processor or mix in a bowl – combine silken tofu with the chopped bell peppers, minced garlic, oregano, basil and nutritional yeast. Set aside.
Making the potato meatballs
- Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until they are completely tender when you stick a fork in them. Drain away the potato water and pour the potatoes into a blender or food processor. Season with salt, thyme, a pinch of pepper, and the flax eggs and blitz until the potatoes are mashed. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to get everything blended.
- Next, add the tapioca flour and blend until the mashed potatoes form a dough that’s thick enough to hold together and shape.
- Roll the dough into a long log and cut it into 12-14 equal pieces (depending on how big you want your meatballs to be you can make more or less meatballs). Roll each dumpling into a ball, then press a hole into the middle to make space for the filling.
- Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of the meatballs, then gently fold the potato dough around and over the filling so it’s completely enclosed in the meatballs.
Making the soup
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and add the sliced carrots, celery stalks, bell peppers, and garlic. Season with oregano, basil and thyme. Let the vegetables cook for a minute to allow the garlic to release its flavor.
- Now, add all the water and dissolve the vegetable bouillon in the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and add the potato meatballs.Leave the soup to gently simmer for 15 minutes (it’s important not to cook at too high a heat as boiling may make the potato dumplings break apart).Serve the soup with your favorite soup toppings and enjoy.
