Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting classic featuring tender homemade meatballs simmered with fresh vegetables, pasta, and spinach in a savory chicken broth. This hearty yet light soup is perfect for a family meal or special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 8 oz. lean ground beef
- 8 oz. ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs (from fresh bread not dried)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano (or 3/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan
- 1 large egg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Soup
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups chopped carrots
- 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
- 5 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dry acini di pepe or orzo pasta
- 6 oz fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Finely shredded parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: Add ground beef and pork to a large mixing bowl. Add bread crumbs, chopped parsley, minced oregano, shredded parmesan, egg, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Gently toss and break up the mixture with your hands until well combined and evenly distributed.
- Shape Meatballs: Form the mixture into very small meatballs, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter. Place them on a large plate.
- Brown Meatballs: Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on 2 or 3 sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer browned meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining meatballs. Note that meatballs will finish cooking later in the soup.
- Sauté Vegetables: While browning meatballs, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped carrots, onions, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables soften, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cook Pasta and Meatballs: Add dry pasta and browned meatballs to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Add Spinach and Serve: Stir in the chopped baby spinach during the last minute of cooking until wilted. Serve the soup warm, sprinkled with additional shredded parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Use a hearty rustic bread to make fresh bread crumbs by grinding a slice in a food processor. Reserve remaining bread for serving or freeze for later use.
- To make a more brothy soup, reduce the pasta to 3/4 cup. Pasta will absorb broth as the soup sits, so add more broth to thin as desired.
- If available, simmer a parmesan rind with the soup for added depth of flavor.
- This recipe makes about 12 cups of soup, approximately 6 servings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
