This hearty soup combines bell pepper, corn, tomato, and zucchini in a rich broth. Spicy meatballs make it a complete meal.
I wanted to share this recipe for Southwest Vegetable Soup with Meatballs with you earlier in celebration of National Homemade Soup Day (Feb. 4, 2025), but the week got away from me thanks to a few writing assignments, volunteer work, and medical appointments. Then it came to me that a hearty soup is the perfect meal for weeks like the one I just had, and I’ll bet you’ve had a hectic week or two recently, too.
Southwest Vegetable Soup with Meatballs is a budget-friendly dinner or lunch. Ready in an hour and it’s delicious! My family enjoyed it with a side of tortilla chips and fresh homemade guacamole. If you’re really strapped for time, swap the homemade meatballs with frozen. Make it a vegan dish by using frozen veggie meatballs and vegetable stock.
Today, it’s chilly and raining where I live, so let’s make some soup!
You will need the following ingredients to make Southwest Vegetable Soup with Meatballs, which yields 6 servings:
Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey (or beef)
¼ cup uncooked white rice
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried oregano (Extra points if you use Mexican oregano. It’s more citrusy and floral.)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
Soup
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon canola oil
4 cups beef broth
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 medium orange or red bell pepper
1 medium zucchini
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
Shredded Colby/Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 lime, quartered
Optional cilantro or parsley for garnish
Follow these directions to make Southwest Vegetable Soup with Meatballs
To make meatballs, combine ground turkey (or beef), rice, chili powder, salt, oregano, garlic and egg. Mix well. Shape about 30 (1-inch) meatballs.
In a large skillet, brown meatballs thoroughly. Drain on paper towels.
If you need dinner on the table faster and choose to use frozen meatballs, I like homestyle or turkey variety in this recipe. You’ll use about half of a 32-ounce bag. Thaw in refrigerator for a few hours ahead of making the soup.
To make the soup, bring a 5-quart Dutch oven to a medium-high heat. Add oil and sauté onion and celery until tender. Add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and oregano. Bring to a gentle boil.
While that’s happening, cut bell pepper into 1-inch pieces and slice zucchini into coins. Add meatballs and bell pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in corn and zucchini. Cover and simmer another 5 to 8 minutes.
To serve, sprinkle grated cheese on top of each serving. Serve with a wedge of lime and an optional sprinkle of chopped cilantro or parsley.
More veggie soup recipes for you to try
I love adding meatballs to soups; it's such a comforting addition! If you want an Italian spin on a vegetable soup with meatballs, try my One-Pot Minestrone. More Southwest flavors combine in my Chicken Tortilla Soup. And I grew up eating my mom's Mormon Soup that's made with lots of veg and hamburger. Not sure how it got its name, but this is a comforting bowl of love in winter. All of these soup recipes will help you stretch your grocery budget, too.
A tip from the kitchen
Leftover soup will keep in your refrigerator for three or four days. You also can freeze leftovers with this soup. However, porcupine meatballs (meatballs made with rice) may fall apart when reheating. If you know you want to freeze a portion of the soup, best to use frozen meatballs that often have a denser texture.
Another option is to freeze the porcupine meatballs and soup separately. Make the meatballs as directed but freeze them separately. Use half the meatballs in soup you’re serving for dinner. Freeze half the soup after it's cooled and the remaining meatballs separately to enjoy later. And remember not to freeze liquids in glass.
Make this recipe vegetarian or vegan
You can make a vegan version of Southwest Vegetable Soup. Swap vegetable broth for the beef and select your favorite version of vegetable “meatballs.” My favorite brand comes from Ikea! I love their Huvudroll vegetable balls, but you can choose your favorite brand.
However, I’d recommend preparing the veggie balls according to package directions and adding them when you add the zucchini and corn to prevent them from breaking apart.
If you want to read more about the history of soup, here’s a quick look. I think those 18th-century French cooks were smart to sell quality soups, called “restoratifs” from carts. I’ll bet we’d be able to keep common colds at bay if, instead of reaching for that bag of chips or candy bar for our mid-afternoon snack, we instead reheated a cup of homemade soup.
About the blog
Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.