Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting and flavorful soup featuring tender homemade meatballs, fresh vegetables, and pasta simmered in a savory chicken broth. This classic Italian-American dish is easy to prepare and perfect for a hearty lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 8 oz. lean ground beef
- 8 oz. ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs (from fresh bread not dried)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano (or 3/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan
- 1 large egg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Soup
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups chopped carrots
- 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
- 5 (14.5 oz) cans 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
- Prepare the Meatballs: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, fresh bread crumbs, chopped parsley, oregano, shredded parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until the ingredients are evenly combined and well distributed. Shape the mixture into very small meatballs about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter and transfer them to a large plate.
- Brown the Meatballs: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally to brown on two or three sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat the process with the remaining meatballs. Note that the meatballs won't be fully cooked at this stage; they will finish cooking in the soup.
- Sauté Vegetables: While the meatballs are browning, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped carrots, onions, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Simmer the Soup: Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the pasta and browned meatballs. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Add Spinach and Serve: During the last minute of cooking, stir in the roughly chopped fresh baby spinach. Once wilted and heated through, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with finely shredded parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use a hearty rustic bread to make fresh bread crumbs by grinding a slice in a food processor for best texture and flavor.
- If you prefer a brothier soup, reduce the pasta amount to 3/4 cup. Pasta will absorb more broth as the soup sits, so add additional broth if desired to thin the soup.
- For added depth of flavor, simmer a parmesan rind with the soup while cooking.
- The recipe makes about 12 cups of soup, suitable for 6 servings.
- Leftover fresh bread crumbs can be stored or saved for other recipes to reduce waste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
