How to make Italian Wedding Soup
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5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
How to make Italian Wedding Soup
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This Italian Wedding Soup recipe is loaded with homemade meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and veggies in a wonderful savory broth with Parmesan cheese on top. It's so satisfying all year long!
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Ingredients
Meatballs
- ½ lb. ground beef
- ½ lb. ground pork
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided
Soup
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced, about 1 cup
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped, about 1¼ cups
- 2 celery stalks diced, about 1 cup
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup acini de pepe pasta
- 8 ounces fresh spinach kale curly endive, chard, or other bitter leafy green
Garnish
- Additional freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
- fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together except for the olive oil. I find this is easiest to do with my hands by squishing until everything is evenly combined. Just try not to overwork the meatballs or they will be tough.
- Shape the meat mixture into small 1-inch meatballs. I usually end up with about 50-60 meatballs, depending on how small I make them.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown for 2-3 minutes on each side (the meatballs don't need to be cooked all the way through, just browned to give them color and flavor). You may need to work in batches to brown all of the meatballs. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate. Drain any grease.
- Using the same pot or dutch oven, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When it is hot, add the carrots, onion, and celery. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the chicken and beef broths, along with the basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and add the meatballs and acini de pepe pasta. If using a tougher green like kale, chard, or curly endive, add it at this point as well.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta is al dente. Stir in the spinach (if using), then serve. Garnish with freshly parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Storage:
- Oven-Baked Meatballs: You can omit the oil and bake the meatballs first if you prefer. Just preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, then arrange the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes until mostly cooked. They don't have to cook all the way through because they will finish cooking in the broth.
- Crock Pot Method: Make the meatballs and brown them in a pan first. Add the meatballs to a large crock pot with all of the remaining soup ingredients except for the pasta and spinach. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 8 hours. Add the acini de pepe pasta and cook on low for 30 minutes, then stir in the spinach and serve.
- Instant Pot Method: Make the meatballs and brown them in the Instant Pot using 2 tablespoons of oil on the SAUTE setting. Remove the meatballs and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then saute the carrots, onion, and celery for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the browned meatballs and all remaining soup ingredients back into the instant pot except for the acini de pepe pasta and spinach and close the lid, setting the valve to seal. Cook on HIGH manual pressure for 10 minutes, then do a quick release. Add the acini de pepe and use the saute function to cook the soup for 10 minutes until the pasta is done, then stir in the spinach and serve.
- Store: Keep Italian Wedding soup in an airtight container inside your fridge, for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze your soup after it cools. Store your soup in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can either thaw it overnight in the fridge and heat the soup when you’re ready to enjoy it, or you can even dump the frozen soup into a pot (run some hot water around the edge of the container you froze it in to loosen it first), and heat that way.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
325kcal
(16%)
Carbohydrates
18g
(6%)
Protein
18g
(36%)
Fat
21g
(32%)
Saturated Fat
7g
(35%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
10g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
67mg
(22%)
Sodium
1600mg
(67%)
Potassium
677mg
(19%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
5929IU
(119%)
Vitamin C
30mg
(33%)
Calcium
167mg
(17%)
Iron
4mg
(22%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 325 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 325kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 18g | 36% |
| Fat | 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 67mg | 22% |
| Sodium | 1600mg | 67% |
| Potassium | 677mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 5929IU | 119% |
| Vitamin C | 30mg | 33% |
| Calcium | 167mg | 17% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
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