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5.0 from 18 votes

Italian Wedding Soup

Full of miniature meatballs, tender pasta, and fresh veggies, this easy Italian Wedding Soup is healthy, hearty, and satisfying comfort food!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 12 cups
Calories: 199 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:
  • ½ lb. ground chicken
  • ½ lb. ground pork
  • ¼ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
For the Soup:
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 large carrots (or 3-4 smaller carrots), peeled and diced
  • 2 talks celery, diced
  • ½ of a large onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic  (about 2 large cloves)
  • 10 cups chicken broth
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1 cup uncooked small pasta (such as acini di pepe, orzo, stelline or ditalini)
  • 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley; grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Make the Meatballs
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl, use your hands or a fork to gently combine all of the meatball ingredients. Use a tablespoon or a small scoop to shape the mixture into small meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on a baking sheet or other large tray.
Stovetop Method
  1. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or enough to coat the bottom of the pot) over medium-high heat. Place half of the meatballs in a single layer in the pot. Cook the meatballs until nicely browned, about 1-2 minutes per side (they do not need to be completely cooked through). Transfer the meatballs to a tray and repeat with additional oil and remaining meatballs. Set browned meatballs aside.
  2. Leave the browned bits and drippings in the pot and heat another 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft – about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Add broth and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to medium or medium-low so that the broth is simmering.
  3. Stir in the pasta and meatballs. Cook until the pasta is tender (if using acini de pepe this will take about 10 minutes, for orzo this will be about 7-9 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, discard bay leaf, and stir in the spinach. The heat of the broth will wilt the spinach almost instantly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
  4. Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Alternate Slow Cooker Instructions
  1. Prepare the meatballs as instructed and pan-fry in a skillet.
  2. Place the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and bay leaf in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the fried meatballs on top and pour 8 cups of broth over top (this is less broth than the stovetop method, because the slow cooker adds a lot of condensation back into the soup).
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or until the vegetables are tender and the meatballs are cooked through.
  4. During the final 15-20 minutes of cooking, stir in the dry pasta. Cover and continue cooking until the pasta is tender. 
  5. Add the spinach to the pot at the very end and stir just until the leaves wilt.

Notes

  • Pan-frying the meatballs before adding them to the soup is an extra step, but it's worth it! This contributes flavor and color to the meatballs, while the drippings also add an extra layer of flavor to the soup.
  • Cook the meatballs in two separate batches so that they have plenty of space in the pot. This makes it easier to flip the meatballs, and it also helps them brown (rather than steam).
  • Fresh herbs really brighten up a warm, cozy soup. I love to garnish with fresh parsley, but other nice options include fresh dill, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano and chives. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is also a nice finishing touch!

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cup Calories 199kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 11g (22%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 46mg (15%) Sodium 909mg (38%) Potassium 460mg (13%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 2844IU (57%) Vitamin C 18mg (20%) Calcium 72mg (7%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 199

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cup
Calories 199kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Protein 11g 22%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 46mg 15%
Sodium 909mg 38%
Potassium 460mg 10%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 2844IU 57%
Vitamin C 18mg 20%
Calcium 72mg 7%
Iron 2mg 11%

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