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Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

The BEST Italian Wedding Soup! Filled with homemade browned mini meatballs, fresh veggies and tiny bits of pasta.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 200 kcal

Equipment

  • large mixing bowl
  • large non-stick skillet
  • large pot

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 8 oz lean ground beef
  • 8 oz ground pork
  • ½ cup fresh white bread crumbs from fresh bread not dried
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 ½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano or ¾ teaspoon dried
  • ½ cup finely shredded parmesan
  • 1 large egg
  • Salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ¼ cups chopped carrots
  • 1 ¼ cups chopped yellow onion
  • ¾ cup chopped celery
  • 4 cloves garlic minced (1 ½ Tbsp)
  • 5 (14.5 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup dry acini di pepe or orzo pasta
  • 6 oz fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
  • Finely shredded parmesan for serving

Instructions
 

For the meatballs

  • Add beef and pork to a large mixing bowl. Add in bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
  • Gently toss and break up mixture with hands to evenly coat and distribute. Shape mixture into very small meatballs, about ¾ inch to 1 inch and transfer to a large plate.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook until browned, turning occasionally (to brown on 2 or 3 sides), about 4 minutes total.
  • Transfer meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels while leaving oil in skillet. Repeat process with remaining meatballs (note that meatballs won't be cooked through at this point, they'll continue to cook through in the soup).

For the soup

  • While meatballs are browning, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onions and celery and saute until veggies have softened about 6 - 8 minutes, add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
  • Pour in chicken broth, season soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil. Add in pasta and meatballs, reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender and meatballs have cooked through, about 10 minutes, while adding in spinach during the last minute of cooking.
  • Serve warm, sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese.

Notes

I recommend using a hearty rustic bread for meatballs. If you like a more brothy soup you can reduce pasta to ¾ cup. If you have a parmesan rind on hand you can simmer this with the soup for added flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 15gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 600mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 150IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 10mg
Keyword comfort food, easy recipes, homemade soup, Italian Wedding Soup, meatball soup, pasta soup
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