Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting and hearty soup featuring tender homemade meatballs, fresh vegetables, and a savory chicken broth base. Perfect for a family meal, this soup combines browned beef and pork meatballs with carrots, celery, onions, spinach, and small pasta like acini de pepe or orzo, garnished with shredded Parmesan cheese for a flavorful and satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 5 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup acini de pepe or orzo pasta, uncooked
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- Shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatballs: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, fresh bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, shredded Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until all ingredients are well combined. Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and set aside.
- Brown the Meatballs: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs to the pot and cook for about 3 minutes per side, turning to brown all sides evenly. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining meatballs using the other tablespoon of olive oil.
- Sauté Vegetables: Using the same pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes until they soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add Broth and Boil: Pour the low-sodium chicken broth into the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook Meatballs and Pasta: Add the browned meatballs and uncooked pasta to the boiling broth. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through. In the last minute of cooking, stir in the baby spinach leaves and cook until wilted.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with shredded Parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Use lean ground meats to keep the meatballs tender and less greasy.
- If you prefer, substitute fresh spinach with kale or Swiss chard for a different flavor.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free bread crumbs and pasta.
- Low-sodium chicken broth helps control the saltiness; adjust seasoning as needed.
- Brown the meatballs carefully to develop flavor but avoid overcooking before adding to the soup.
