Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting, flavorful soup combining tender meatballs, fresh vegetables, and small pasta simmered in a savory chicken broth, finished with fresh spinach and Parmesan cheese. This classic recipe offers multiple cooking methods including stovetop, Crock Pot, and Instant Pot for versatile preparation.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- ½ lb. ground beef, 85% lean
- ½ lb. ground pork
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 ¼ cups carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¾ cup acini de pepe pasta, uncooked
- 4-5 cups fresh spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To Garnish
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Prepare the meatballs: Gently combine ground beef, ground pork, egg, Italian breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper without overworking the meat. Roll into ¾-inch balls.
- Brown the meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs in batches for about 2 minutes until they develop a light crust. Remove and set aside. The inside will finish cooking in the soup.
- Sauté vegetables: Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes until softened, adding olive oil if needed. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add broth and simmer: Pour in chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and add the browned meatballs back into the pot. Let simmer gently.
- Cook pasta separately: Boil acini de pepe pasta in a separate pot until al dente, then drain. This prevents the pasta from absorbing too much broth if storing leftovers. Pasta can be added directly to the soup if no leftovers are planned.
- Add spinach and finish soup: Stir fresh spinach into the simmering soup and cook for about 2 minutes until wilted.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle soup into bowls with pasta, garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and serve hot.
Notes
- Flavor Enhancers: Add 1 teaspoon each of hot sauce (such as Frank’s Hot Sauce), Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder when adding Italian seasoning for subtle depth without spiciness.
- Use small meatballs (¾ to 1 inch) for perfect bites in the soup.
- Frozen spinach (10 oz) can be substituted; thaw and pat dry before adding.
- Alternative small pastas including ditalini or orzo work well.
- Pair with crusty, airy bread like No Knead Bread for dipping.
- Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3-4 months; store pasta separately to maintain texture.
- For Crock Pot method: Brown meatballs, then combine all ingredients except pasta and spinach and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Add pasta separately when serving, stir in spinach just before serving.
- For Instant Pot method: Brown meatballs using sauté mode, sauté vegetables with seasonings, deglaze pot with broth, pressure cook for 5 minutes with meatballs inside. Add pasta separately or cook in pot using sauté function for 9 minutes. Stir in spinach before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1.5 cups soup with pasta)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
