Looking for a comforting bowl of soup that’s both nourishing and delicious? Italian Wedding Soup is a heartwarming combination of tender meatballs, fresh vegetables, and tiny pasta swimming in a flavorful broth. Despite its name, this soup isn’t actually served at Italian weddings – it gets its name from the perfect “marriage” of ingredients that create a harmonious blend of flavors. Let me show you how to make this classic Italian-American favorite that’s perfect for any time of year.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground meat (mix of pork and beef)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the soup:
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup small pasta (acini di pepe or orzo)
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 8 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Extra Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Mix all meatball ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Form into small meatballs (about 1-inch diameter) and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until vegetables soften (about 5 minutes).
- Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Carefully add meatballs to the simmering broth. Cook for 5-7 minutes until they’re cooked through.
- Add pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook Time and Serving Size
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6-8 bowls
Recipe Notes
- Make the meatballs smaller than you might think – they should be bite-sized to fit easily on a soup spoon.
- To prevent the pasta from becoming too soft, you can cook it separately and add it to individual bowls when serving.
- This soup freezes well, but I recommend freezing it without the pasta and adding fresh pasta when reheating.
- For a lighter version, you can use ground turkey or chicken for the meatballs.
- If you can’t find acini di pepe, any small pasta shape works well – orzo, small shells, or even broken spaghetti.
- The soup will thicken as it sits because the pasta continues to absorb liquid. When reheating, you might need to add more broth.
This Italian Wedding Soup is perfect for meal prep and actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop. Don’t forget to serve it with extra grated Parmesan cheese on top!
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meat mix of pork and beef
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup small pasta acini di pepe or orzo
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 8 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Extra Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Mix all meatball ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Form into small meatballs (about 1-inch diameter) and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until vegetables soften (about 5 minutes).
- Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Carefully add meatballs to the simmering broth. Cook for 5-7 minutes until they're cooked through.
- Add pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
