Italian Wedding Soup
Each delicious bowl of this cozy soup delivers juicy, pan-seared meatballs, tiny pasta, colorful vegetables, and a parmesan-spiked broth. It’s the ultimate in comfort and a true fan-favorite. The mini meatballs are decidedly savory, and partner perfectly with the nutty cheese, sweet vegetables, and tender pasta. Hearty, wholesome, and completely satisfying, this Italian wedding soup is easy to make and leftovers store beautifully!
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
What is Italian wedding soup? Despite the name, Italian wedding soup has nothing to do with nuptials. In fact, the name comes from “minestra maritata” (married soup) which refers to the marriage of meat and vegetables in a broth-based soup. A simple retitling (AKA mistranslation) of this Southern Italian soup and “Italian wedding soup” was born.
Here’s what you need for this easy Italian wedding soup
- Olive oil. Olive oil is used to sauté and brown meatballs, and again to sauté the vegetables.
- Meat. We use both ground beef and pork for the meatballs. Both add great flavor, and the pork keeps the meatballs moist. I prefer lean ground beef (90% lean) to prevent the soup from getting oily. If desired, you may use all ground beef instead of a combination of beef and pork.
- Breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs help bind the meatball mixture together, which prevents them from falling apart. I used panko breadcrumbs, but you can also use Italian style dry breadcrumbs. Gluten-free breadcrumbs also work.
- Egg. One large egg is used to partner with the breadcrumb in the meatball mixture. The egg keeps the meatballs moist and tender while cooking.
- Broth. You need 8 cups of chicken broth for this soup, and you can use regular or reduced sodium. Since the broth makes up the bulk of the liquid in the soup, choose one with good flavor.
- Tomato paste. A hint of tomato paste adds sweetness and richness to the soup. You can use the tomato paste sold in tubes or cans. Pro tip: Freeze leftover canned tomato paste in ice cube trays.
- Herbs. We use both fresh and dried herbs in the meatballs. Fresh parsley adds great flavor and color, and dried oregano adds delicate floral notes. If desired, you may swap in 2 teaspoons of dried parsley for the 2 tablespoons fresh.
- Vegetables. The classic mirepoix blend of onions, carrots, and celery are used to create a flavor base for the soup. Garlic is used for its robust flavor, both in the meatballs and the soup. Fresh spinach is added just before serving. If desired, you may substitute 10 ounces of frozen spinach. When using frozen spinach, thaw before using and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Pasta. Acini di pepe is the classic for this soup. The pasta is small and transforms into tender little pasta balls when cooked. If desired, you may substitute ditalini, pastina (stars), elbow macaroni, or orzo.
- Parmesan cheese. A hefty amount of parmesan cheese is used to season the meatballs and keep them moist. Please do not use shelf-stable parmesan cheese; it lacks flavor and doesn’t melt properly. Choose freshly grated parmesan cheese, either from your grocery store’s cheese section, or grate the cheese yourself (there are many affordable brands these days).
- Salt and pepper. Salt and black pepper are used to season the meatballs, and then to season the soup before serving. Since the broth and parmesan cheese both have sodium, and the meatballs include salt, it’s best to season the soup just before serving. It’s easy to add salt, it’s not easy to take it away.
Tips for flawless Italian wedding soup
Use beef and pork. The authentic version of this soup marries beef and pork for the meatballs. They both add flavor, and pork ensures that the meatballs don’t dry out. That said, if you only have beef, you can use that (1 pound) for the entire batch of meatballs.
Make small meatballs. As time-consuming as it may be, make your meatballs small. One pound of meat should yield 75 to 80 meatballs. Why? Because we want mini meatballs in every bite! Plus, they cook more evenly and are guaranteed to be cooked through when the pasta is al dente. If you’re bored, grab some help, and/or throw on some music to pass the time!
Brown the meatballs. Don’t skip this step. Browning the meatballs adds caramelization to the outside, and the “fond” (brown remnants) are left on the bottom of the pot. Those tasty bits are subsequently incorporated into the soup as it simmers.
Brown in batches. As mentioned above, the first cooking step in this recipe is to brown the meatballs – on every side. If you crowd the pan, the meatballs will bang into each other; they may brown on the bottom, but they will steam on the sides. Browning adds flavor, so make sure those mini meatballs are browned on all sides before transferring them to a plate and proceeding with the recipe.
Keep some broth on hand. Note that the pasta will absorb the broth as it sits (and when stored in the refrigerator or freezer). Simply add a little broth to loosen the pasta before serving.
Consider variations and additions
- Add hot sauce. For a little fiery kick, add your favorite hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add Worcestershire sauce. One teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, added when you add the broth, adds subtle umami notes.
- Use store-bought frozen mini meatballs. If you’re in hurry, replace the homemade meatballs with store-bought frozen mini meatballs. When using frozen mini meatballs, there’s no need to thaw or brown them before adding them to the soup.
- Make the meatballs with poultry. If desired, you may use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of the beef and pork blend.
- Swap in kale, endive or escarole. Spinach is the classic choice for Italian wedding soup, but chopped fresh kale, endive, and escarole work equally well. Note that kale, endive and escarole take longer to wilt than spinach so you will need to add them to the pot when you add the pasta.
- Add a parmesan rind. For a more intense parmesan flavor, add a parmesan rind to the pot when you add the broth. Remove the rind before serving.
How to serve Italian wedding soup. To round out this meal, soup the soup with garlic bread, Caesar salad, or Caprese salad.
Since the soup contains meat, pasta, and vegetables, you need little else to complete the meal.
How to store Italian wedding soup. Once cool, transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. To reheat, transfer the soup to a saucepan and reheat over medium heat until hot, adding more broth (or water) as necessary to thin the soup and loosen the pasta. You may also reheat the soup in the microwave.
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, or Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the soup
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups good-quality chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup uncooked acini di pepe, ditalini, or orzo
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, about 5 ounces
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, egg, oregano, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Mix gently to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Use a heaping teaspoon of meat to create several 1-inch meatballs. You should have about 75 to 80 meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches to prevent crowding the pan, add the meatballs to the pan and cook until browned on all sides.
- Transfer the meatballs to paper towel-lined plate (note that the meatballs will not be cooked through yet; they will continue cooking in the soup). Set aside.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the same pot over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. If necessary, add a little olive oil to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Return the meatballs to the pot. Add the broth and tomato paste bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the pasta, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to low, stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with parmesan cheese.