Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
User Reviews
5
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Description
This recipe prepares seasoned meatballs from ground beef and pork sausage mixed with breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and seasonings. The meatballs are browned in olive oil to develop flavor and texture before being set aside. The soup base is made by sautéing onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in olive oil, then adding chicken broth and seasoning with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes for mild heat.
After bringing the broth to a simmer, acini de pepe pasta is added and cooked until tender. The browned meatballs and fresh spinach are then added to the soup, allowing the spinach to wilt. The result is a balanced soup with tender meatballs, soft pasta, and crisp-tender vegetables in a savory broth enhanced by the garlic and Parmesan in the meatballs.
Italian Wedding Soup is traditionally served hot, garnished with extra parsley and red pepper flakes if desired, offering warmth and depth in each spoonful. The small pasta and spinach contribute soft textures complementing the meatballs and broth.
For storage, the pasta absorbs broth over time, so store separately if keeping leftovers longer than two days. Prepare pasta separately and add when reheating to avoid sogginess. The soup freezes best without pasta. Orzo or pearl couscous can replace acini de pepe if unavailable. Breadcrumbs can be swapped with seasoned regular breadcrumbs. Ground turkey or turkey sausage can substitute the beef and pork mixture.
Ingredients
Homemade Meatballs
- ½ pound ground beef 90/10 lean to fat ratio
- ½ pound Italian ground pork sausage mild
- ½ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 egg beaten, large
- ¼ cup parsley fresh, flat-leaf, finely chopped
- 2 garlic finely minced, cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
Italian Wedding Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion diced, small, white
- 3 carrot peeled and diced, medium
- 3 celery diced, ribs
- 3 garlic finely minced, cloves
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup acini de pepe pasta see note
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, plus more for serving
- 3 cups spinach roughly chopped, fresh baby
- flat-leaf parsley chopped, optional, fresh
Instructions
- Make the Homemade Meatballs: Add the ground beef, ground sausage, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, garlic, salt, and black pepper to a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Scoop out 2 teaspoons of the mixture at a time and use your hands to roll it into a meatball. (If your hands get sticky, spritz them with nonstick cooking spray and continue rolling.) You should end up with roughly 48 meatballs.
- Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of the meatballs. Cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes, or until the balls are lightly browned on all sides. Transfer meatballs to the paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and meatballs.
- Make the Italian Wedding Soup: To the same pot you used for the meatballs, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir in the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, or until tender. Add garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Pour in the broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta gradually while stirring to avoid clumping. Mix in the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and meatballs. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 7-9 minutes.
- Toss in the spinach and stir until well mixed. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Serve immediately with additional red pepper flakes and parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Store pasta separately for longer freshness; add it to soup when reheating to avoid soggy pasta.
- Do not freeze soup with pasta inside, as pasta will degrade in texture after thawing.
- Substitute acini de pepe pasta with orzo or pearl couscous if needed.
- Regular Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs or plain breadcrumbs plus 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning can replace Italian-style breadcrumbs.
- Ground turkey or turkey sausage can be used instead of beef and pork for the meatball mixture.
- Best consumed within two days for optimal texture and flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 429 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 429kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 26g | 9% |
| Protein | 22g | 44% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 92mg | 31% |
| Sodium | 2325mg | 97% |
| Potassium | 545mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 6861IU | 137% |
| Vitamin C | 12mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 133mg | 13% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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