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featured swedish meatball soup
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4.67 from 56 votes

Swedish Meatball Soup Recipe

Made with tender, juicy meatballs, hearty egg noodles, and a deliciously creamy sauce, this Swedish Meatball Soup is the ultimate comfort food. It’s hearty, satisfying, and melts in your mouth delicious!  
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, Swedish
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 8
Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • ⅓ cup regular breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 large egg
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ medium yellow onion minced
  • 1 large clove garlic minced
  • 1 pound ground chicken or pork
  • 1½ pounds ground chuck

For the Sauce & Noodles

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon Beef instant bouillon granules
  • 1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt if needed
  • 8 ounces egg noodles medium, narrow or Kluski egg noodles (1 standard package)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

To Garnish

  • Lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce
  • Chopped fresh parsley
  • Sour cream

Instructions

For the Meatballs

  • Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 400°F. Cover 2 large baking sheets with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, milk, cream, egg, salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and parsley. Set the mixture aside to allow the milk to soak into the breadcrumbs, at least 10 minutes.
    ⅓ cup regular breadcrumbs, ½ cup milk, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 large egg, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
    Mixing egg and breadcrumb meatball mixture.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onion and sauté until translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Transfer the onion/garlic mixture to the breadcrumb mixture.
    1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon oil, ½ medium yellow onion, 1 large clove garlic
    Cooking onions in a pan.
  • Once the breadcrumb mixture is ready, add the ground chuck and chicken. Mix well (but don’t over-mix or meatballs will be tough) using a wooden spoon.
    1 pound ground chicken or pork, 1½ pounds ground chuck
    Mixing ground meat into a breadcrumb mixture.
  • Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (or use a 1-inch scoop) and place on the prepared sheet pan 1 inch apart.
    Uncooked Swedish meatballs lined up on a baking tray.
  • Bake meatballs for about 12-15 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.
  • Remove from the oven and place the meatballs on a paper towel-lined baking sheet until ready to use.

For the Sauce & Noodles

  • While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce.
  • Make a roux by melting the butter in a large skillet. Add the flour to the butter and whisk well. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking often, until mixture is creamy and turns a dark golden brown.
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    Roux in a Dutch oven.
  • Add beef broth, chicken broth, cream, sour cream, bouillon granules, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, sugar, and black pepper. Taste, then season with salt, only if needed.
    3 cups low-sodium beef broth, 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2 cups heavy cream, ¾ cup sour cream, 1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, Salt, 1 teaspoon Beef instant bouillon granules
    Hand whisking creamy soup in a pot.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat, and add the noodles. Restore the soup to a boil and reduce heat to low to simmer until noodles are al dente.
    8 ounces egg noodles
    Wooden spoon lifting cooked egg noodles out of a pot of soup.
  • Add the meatballs, and simmer, stirring gently & often, until noodles are cooked through and soup has reduced to desired consistency. (See recipe note.)
    Creamy soup filled with meatballs in a Dutch oven.
  • Add chopped parsley and stir gently.
    2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • Serve and garnish with dollops of Lingonberry jam, sour cream, and a sprinkle of additional chopped fresh parsley.
    Lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce, Chopped fresh parsley, Sour cream
    A bowl of Swedish meatball soup topped with lingonberry jam.

Video

Notes

  • For a Thicker Soup: Before adding the meatballs, mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold milk or cold water and add it to the sauce, stir over medium-high heat until mixture thickens then reduce heat to simmer.
  • Quantity: The meatball portion of this recipe makes about 60-70 (1-inch ) meatballs. Add as many meatballs as you like to the soup and save any extras for a quick snack or meal.
Storage: Store Swedish meatball soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 827kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 272mg | Sodium: 997mg | Potassium: 1015mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1484IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 4mg