Italian Wedding Soup
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr
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Cook Time
3 hrs 30 mins
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Total Time
4 hrs 30 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
4079 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
Italian
Italian Wedding Soup
Description
Italian Wedding Soup starts by simmering a whole chicken with onion studded with cloves, carrots, celery, parsley, thyme, black peppercorns, and salt to create a rich, flavorful broth. The broth is reduced and strained to remove solids, with reserved meat and vegetables set aside. Meatballs are formed from a blend of ground beef and pork mixed with breadcrumbs soaked in milk, egg, grated Parmesan, garlic, parsley, and salt. The soup is completed by cooking the meatballs and escarole in the broth with thin pasta such as capellini. This creates a balanced soup with savory broth, tender meatballs, fresh greens, and delicate pasta.
The soup serves as a comforting meal with layers of flavor from the aromatic broth and the tender meatballs offset by the slight bitterness of escarole. It makes a soothing starter or a light, satisfying main course. Parmesan can be added when serving to enhance richness.
Broth and meatballs can be prepared up to three days ahead or frozen to ease meal planning. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to three days and reheat gently with added broth or water to maintain consistency. Preparing components ahead helps develop deeper flavors and simplifies assembly.
Ingredients
For the broth:
- 1 chicken whole or cut-up, organic, 4 pound
- 1 yellow onion quartered
- 4 clove whole
- 2 carrot peeled, trimmed, and cut into 2- to 3-inch segments
- 2 celery trimmed and cut into 2- to 3-inch segments, ribs
- 2 parsley sprigs
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns whole
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste, fine
For the meatballs and soup:
- 3/4 cup bread crusts removed, torn pieces, fresh sturdy
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 ounces ground beef
- 4 ounces ground pork
- 1 egg lightly beaten, small
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus more for serving the soup, freshly grated
- 1 garlic minced, small clove
- 2 teaspoons parsley fresh, flat-leaf, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt fine sea salt
- 5 ounces escarole or baby spinach leaves; about 5-6 cups, raw, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups capellini pasta thin spaghetti or other small soup pasta, broken
Instructions
- Make the chicken broth: Put the chicken in a large stock pot and cover with 4 quarts cold water. Into each of the onion quarters insert 1 clove and add them to the pot. Add the carrots, celery, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to medium-low, then skim any foam that forms on the surface. Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 3 hours, adding salt to taste during the last hour of cooking. The broth is ready when it is reduced by about 1/3 to 1/2 and has developed a rich flavor.
- Strain the broth: Strain the broth through a colander lined with cheesecloth into a clean lidded container. Reserve some pieces of chicken, carrots, and celery for the soup and discard the bones and the rest of the solids.
- Refrigerate the broth: Refrigerate the broth and reserved meat and vegetables. When the broth is completely chilled, skim off and discard the congealed layer of fat on the surface of the broth before reheating. This step is optional but recommended.
- Make the meatballs: Line a large baking sheet or platter with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the torn bread and milk and let sit for about 15 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed the liquid. Gently squeeze out the excess milk and return the bread to the bowl. Add the beef, pork, egg, cheese, garlic, parsley, and salt. Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
- Shape the meatballs: Dampen your hands with cold water, pinch off small pieces of the mixture (1 to 2 teaspoons) and roll them into balls about the size of a marble, setting them on the prepared baking sheet or platter as you go. You should end up with 60 to 100 meatballs, depending on how small you roll them.
- Make the soup: Bring 8 cups defatted broth to a boil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Carefully drop in the meatballs and stir gently. Add the greens and simmer everything for about 10 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through, and the greens have wilted. Add the reserved chicken and vegetables from the broth, if using. Stir in the pasta and let the soup boil gently until the pasta is al dente; the cooking time will vary depending on which pasta you use and the brand.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into shallow bowls and sprinkle each serving with about 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Notes
- The broth can be made 1 to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen in containers; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before use.
- Meatballs can be shaped a day ahead and refrigerated or frozen for convenience.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently with added liquid as needed.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 4079 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 407.9kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 15.8g | 5% |
| Protein | 29.9g | 60% |
| Fat | 24.4g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat | 7.8g | 39% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4.2g | 25% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9.9g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 125.4mg | 42% |
| Sodium | 348.8mg | 15% |
| Potassium | 499.9mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 2.1g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2.5g | 5% |
| Vitamin A | 3233.5IU | 65% |
| Vitamin C | 6.1mg | 7% |
| Calcium | 100.4mg | 10% |
| Iron | 2.2mg | 12% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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