Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
This easy Italian wedding soup recipe is packed with juicy meatballs, pasta, and spinach in a flavorful broth. A classic, comforting soup that’s simple to make at home.
Servings: 8
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 8 ounces Italian pork sausage casings removed
- 8 ounces ground beef
- ¼ cup plain panko crumbs or breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 8 cups chicken broth you can also use beef broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup acini di pepe or orzo pasta
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- shredded parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the Italian pork sausage, ground beef, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, grated parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and transfer to a large plate.
- Sauté the vegetables. Melt the butter and heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium-high heat. To the melted butter, add the onion, carrots, and celery; season with salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes or until just softened. Stir frequently.
- Add the aromatics and broth. Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning, and continue to cook for 15 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in the broth, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to pick up all the browned bits.
- Stir in the pasta and meatballs. Add in the pasta and meatballs, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Then stir in the spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until wilted.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat, taste the soup for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with shredded parmesan and serve.
Notes
- Pasta: This soup is prepared with small pasta like Acini di Pepe, and you can use any other small-shaped pasta like orzo and ditalini.
- Cook the pasta separately if you plan to have leftovers. The pasta will soak up a lot of the liquid; therefore, if you want to serve this soup later, make the pasta on the side and add it to the soup when serving.
- Meatballs: I prepared the meatballs with Italian pork sausage and ground beef, but you can use any other combination of ground meats or sausages. If time permits, I suggest searing the meatballs for a few minutes for deeper flavor before adding them to the soup.
- Wine: To add more flavor, add about 1/4 cup of dry white wine when cooking the carrots, onions, and celery.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 592mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4617IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 3mg
