365 Days of Slow Cooking and Pressure Cooking

Easy slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes for each day of the year

Instant Pot Meatball Sub Soup

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Instant Pot Meatball Sub Soup—all the flavors from the sandwich in soup form. Made fast and easy in your Instant Pot (or slow cooker).

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Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below

Instant Pot Meatball Sub Soup

Instant Pot Meatball Sub Soup

I love meatball sub sandwiches but I am always thinking to myself, “these are so messy to eat!” That’s where Instant Pot meatball sub soup comes into the picture. It’s easier to eat, not as messy. Plus in the winter time it warms you right up. It’s a cheesy, tomato-y, meaty soup that we all ate greedily.

For this meatball soup I chose the convenient route of using frozen Italian meatballs. Shortcuts in cooking are my jam these days! I bought a bag from Smiths (I also like the Costco brand). If you’d like you can also make homemade meatballs and use them in the place of frozen meatballs. They can be cooked or uncooked.

If you’re missing the bread part of the sandwich you can dip in a piece or two of toasted garlic bread. If you want to go the super easy route then pick up a package of frozen garlic Texas toast and bake in the oven while the soup is cooking in the Instant Pot. Another fun choice would be to serve the soup in a hollowed out bread bowl. If you want to go above and beyond make a homemade loaf of French Bread or Little Caesar’s Crazy Bread.

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Instant Pot Meatball Sub Soup

3 more Instant Pot Soup Recipes…

Instant Pot Busy Day Soup—This meatball, macaroni and veggie soup is a fast and easy dump and go recipe that only has 5 ingredients and takes about 5 minutes to get going.

Instant Pot Sausage Tortellini Soup–is a family favorite soup with loads of flavor from sausage, cheese tortellini and parmesan.

Instant Pot Oprah’s Tomato Soup—healthy and flavorful tomato soup recipe (can be vegetarian and dairy free).

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    Instant Pot Meatball Sub Soup

    ★★★★★

    5 from 5 reviews
    • Author: 365 Days of Slow and Pressure Cooking
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
    • Total Time: 20 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings 1x
    Print Recipe

    Description

    All the flavors from the sandwich in soup form. Made fast and easy in your Instant Pot (or slow cooker). 

    Scale

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • 1 cup diced onion
    • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
    • 3 cups beef broth
    • 1 ¼ pounds frozen Italian meatballs
    • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
    • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    • ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Baguette slices, garlic bread or breadsticks for serving

    Instructions

    Instant Pot Recipe:

    1. Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and the onion. Sauté onion for 4-5 minutes. Then add in garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. 
    2. Pour in the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot. 
    3. Add in the meatballs. Pour the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste on top of meatballs. Sprinkle in the oregano. 
    4. Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the SOUP (or manual/pressure cook) button to 5 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid. 
    5. Add a bit of the hot soup to the milk to temper it and then pour the milk into the pot. 
    6. Turn off Instant Pot and move the inner liner to the countertop. Then add in the cheeses. This will prevent the cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
    7. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with additional parmesan cheese. Serve soup with buttered, toasted baguette slices, garlic bread or breadsticks. 

    Slow Cooker Recipe:

    1. Heat pan over medium high heat and add in the oil and the onion. Sauté onion for 4-5 minutes. Then add in garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Transfer contents to the slow cooker. 
    2. Pour in the beef broth, meatballs, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and oregano. 
    3. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
    4. Add a bit of the hot soup to the milk to temper it and then pour the milk into the slow cooker. 
    5. Stir in the cheeses. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with additional parmesan cheese. Serve soup with buttered, toasted baguette slices, garlic bread or breadsticks. 

    Notes

    I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. 

    • Category: Soup
    • Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
    1
    Turn Instant Pot to sauté and add in oil and onions
    2
    Pour in beef broth
    3
    Add in meatballs
    4
    Dump in tomatoes, tomato paste and oregano
    5
    Pressure cook for 5 minutes
    6
    Temper milk and then stir it in
    7
    Stir in cheeses
    8
    Ladle into bowls and serve with garlic toast
    Check out my other content @365dayscrockpot on Jumprope.

    *Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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    Comments

    1. Ed says

      I may have missed it: Are the meatballs frozen or thawed when thy are placed in the pressure cooker? Can’t wait to try this recipe.?

      Reply

    4. LJ says

      This is one of the best IP soup recipes I’ve made. Tastes even better after a few days so definitely double the recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

    5. Barb says

      This sounds delicious (as do all your recipes so far!) but do you have recommendations on reduction on the sodium – which seems really high? I’m not sure what raised it to 61% of the DV. Would it be store bought meatballs ? Could you make some recommendations to lower it?

      ★★★★★

      Reply

      • Karen says

        You could use tomato products that are reduced sodium. Look for reduced sodium meatballs or make homemade that don’t have much salt. Low sodium broth.

        Reply

    7. Elisa says

      You did it again Karen! Hit it out of the park! Delicious, and definitely a full meal with some salad. Thanks!

      PS: I used chicken broth and frozen vege meatballs

      ★★★★★

      Reply

    10. Ann Green e says

      Karen, Congrats on the book. I just got mine and on Pg 55 the instructions say to add the dill pickle juice but it’s not in the recipe. If it’s supposed to be there, how much is needed.

      Reply

    11. Jessica Ferzoco says

      Hi! This looks awesome, thank you! May I ask, does the total carb count include the bread? So if I didnt have the bread the carb count would be much lower?

      I love your other recipes too – can’t wait to try them!!

      Reply

    12. george says

      Karen: could this recipe be prepared as a prep meal? With health issues I usually prep 4-5 lunches on Sunday for the week.
      Thanks
      George

      Reply

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