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Freezer-Friendly Italian Wedding Soup

This delightful recipe is easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Optional Bake Time
25 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 351 kcal
Course: Main Course , Soup
Cuisine: Italian , American

Ingredients

Meatballs
  • 1 lb lean ground chicken
  • 3/4 lb Jennie-O Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage, casings removed
  • 1 1/2 slices slightly stale white bread, processed into crumbs (42 grams)
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (27 grams)
  • 1 egg (50 grams)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (8 grams)
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp each: salt and pepper
Soup
  • 16 oz dry cavatelli pasta or other small pasta (454 grams)
  • 64 oz Swanson Chicken Cooking Stock
  • 32 oz Unsalted Swanson Chicken Cooking Stock
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (4 fl oz)
  • 4 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped (5 oz)
  • 4 carrots, diced (320 grams)
  • 3 stalks celery, diced (118 grams)
  • 1 small onion, chopped (70 grams)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (12 grams)
  • 2 tsp Flavor God Garlic Lover's Seasoning
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the Meatballs
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add all meatball ingredients to a bowl and use your hands to mix and combine all ingredients. Ensure the meats are well incorporated, but be careful not to overwork it. Roll into 1 inch meatballs.
  2. If you want to bake rather than boil the meatballs (I prefer to bake them since I find it more flavorful), pre-heat oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with SILPAT or foil. Arrange meatballs in a single layer, spray with olive oil or cooking spray, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until just cooked through.
Build the Broth
  1. In a large pot or Dutch oven (I used this 7-qt one), heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and sauté for 3-4 minutes until onions are tender.
  2. Add white wine to the pot to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add chicken stock, Flavor God seasoning, and oregano, then cover the pot and bring to a boil.
  3. If you'll be cooking the meatballs in the broth, drop them in the boiling broth now, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes. If you're baking the meatballs, leave them out for now.
Cook the Pasta
  1. If you're planning to freeze some or all of the soup, cook the pasta separately. Bring salted water to boil and add the pasta for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water. Toss lightly with olive oil.
  2. If you won't be freezing the soup, add the dry, uncooked pasta to the broth when there are 4 minutes of cook time left for the meatballs. Stir to ensure the pasta is submerged and cover the pot.
Finishing Touches
  1. Add the spinach with about 1 minute of cook time remaining. If you baked the meatballs, add them now too. Remember that even once you remove the soup from the heat, the carryover heat will continue to cook the soup components.
  2. Remove from heat. If you'll be freezing some of the soup, divide it into freezer safe containers like Souper Cubes or Stasher Bags and allow to cool completely before freezing. For any servings that will be eaten now, add pasta to the hot soup and allow to rest for a few minutes to finish cooking the noodles. Serve with fresh parsley and fresh grated parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
Reheating from Frozen
  1. For best results, remove the frozen soup from the freezer the night before you plan to serve it and place into a microwave safe container. When ready to eat, use the defrost setting on your microwave for about 5-6 minutes. Break apart any remaining frozen chunks and continue heating on high for 2 minutes. Add frozen pasta to the soup and continue heating on high for 1-2 minutes.

Notes

  • The total recipe yield is about 5 1/2 quarts or 5215 grams.
  • Click here or scan the barcode below to log this food in My Fitness Pal.

Nutrition Information

Serving 2.25cups Calories 351kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 41g (14%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 7g (11%) Cholesterol 71mg (24%) Sodium 728mg (30%) Potassium 417mg (12%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 5g (10%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 351

% Daily Value*

Serving 2.25cups
Calories 351kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 41g 14%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 7g 11%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 728mg 30%
Potassium 417mg 9%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 5g 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.