Italian Wedding Soup
This Italian wedding soup recipe is an irresistible classic with tender meatballs and a gorgeous broth! Pasta and fresh spinach round out this tasty soup.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for serving
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 3 medium carrots peeled & chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup uncooked acini de pepe pasta or orzo
- 1 (5 ounce) package fresh baby spinach see note
Instructions
- Add the breadcrumbs and milk to a large prep bowl. Using a fork, mash together until smooth. Add in the remaining meatball ingredients. Mix together, using your hands, taking care not to overwork the mixture. Form 1" meatballs (about 1 tablespoon each, making 40-45 meatballs). Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet or a couple of large plates.
- Prep the soup ingredients. Add the olive oil to a soup pot or Dutch oven, and heat it over medium-high heat until the pot is HOT (important so the meatballs don't stick). Sear the meatballs in two batches for about 5 min/batch until they're nicely browned on the outside. They will finish cooking in the soup. Transfer meatballs to a plate once seared.
- To the soup pot, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 7-8 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the broth, Italian seasoning, and meatballs. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Once the soup is boiling, add in the pasta. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, pot uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the spinach, let it wilt, and season the soup with salt & pepper if needed. Serve with extra freshly grated parmesan cheese on top of bowls if desired.
Notes
- Escarole is traditionally used in this recipe, so you can swap it for the spinach if you prefer/can find it. It needs longer to soften, so I would add it in at the same time as the pasta.
- See blog post for more tips, FAQ, and step-by-step photos!
Nutrition
Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1984mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2437IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 3mg