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).
Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below
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.
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
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
All the flavors from the sandwich in soup form. Made fast and easy in your Instant Pot (or slow cooker).
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 1/4 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
- 1/2 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:
- 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.
- Pour in the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Add in the meatballs. Pour the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste on top of meatballs. Sprinkle in the oregano.
- 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.
- Add a bit of the hot soup to the milk to temper it and then pour the milk into the pot.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- Pour in the beef broth, meatballs, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and oregano.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- Add a bit of the hot soup to the milk to temper it and then pour the milk into the slow cooker.
- 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
*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.
Great flavor. I used low sodium broth, added a few baby portabella mushrooms and a tsp. of sugar. The heated baguette bread rounded out the meal.
★★★★★
That sounds amazing!
made this for dinner. hit in the household. will be making this again. only gripe was cleaning the stuck cheese out of the pot. get your scraper handy!
★★★★
Yes that’s true! But well worth it still in my opinion!
What would you use as sides for this?
This is such a delicious and satisfying soup that it doesn’t really need additional sides beyond garlic toast for dunking. A green salad would be nice as a side.
★★★★★
This was an exceptionally good recipe! Made exactly as written, but I halved the recipe for my 3 qt. IP Mini. With hindsight, I don’t think I needed to do that at all. I served it up in bread bowls, and it was a delightful soup enjoyed by all. Thanks again, Karen!
★★★★★
BREAD BOWLS!!! mmmmmmm!
Many of everyone’s recipes contain cheese, can you recommend any substitute for dairy (cheese) for use in most recipes? I use Oat Milk as a substitute for cows milk all the time but cheese is difficult to change.
★★★★★
I’m sorry but I must unsubscribe.
My husband had an ascending aortic dissection 9 weeks ago and must limit his sodium intake. Today’s recipe contains 1395.9 mg of sodium.
As many of your recipes are high too very high in sodium, I just can’t subscribe for his health’s sake.
There is salt in a lot of things. We, as ones that have loved ones that need to lower salt intake, just change the recipes in order to lower the salt. For example, make your own meatballs and broth, etc. No need to unsubscribe.
Sorry to hear that Peggy!
This looks really good. Just bought the ingredients and am looking to give this a try. Any recommendation for storage?
I’d stick it in an airtight container if fridge for up to 5 days or in freezer for up to 3 months.
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.?
Mine were frozen!
Could make fresh meats ball for this recipe would be the same time i cook it for.
Yes you can and I would use the same cooking time!
Super easy! Excellent taste. My family loved it.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
This is one of the best IP soup recipes I’ve made. Tastes even better after a few days so definitely double the recipe!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it!!
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?
★★★★★
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.
Does almondmilk work as a substitute to traditional cow’s milk?
I bet it’ll be fine!
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
★★★★★
Glad you liked it Elisa!
This is delicious!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Deborah!!!
Ok – thanks!!
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.
Wow there is a major problem with that page. The recipe is supposed to be colorful wheat berry salad: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-colorful-wheat-berry-salad/
But the directions are for the dill pickle pasta salad on page 53. So I’m very sorry. Thanks for letting me know.
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!!
No bread included in the nutrition facts!
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
Yes it would be perfect for that!