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Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

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4.7 from 126 reviews

A comforting and hearty Italian Wedding Soup featuring tender homemade meatballs, fresh vegetables, and delicate acini de pepe pasta simmered in flavorful chicken broth, finished with fresh spinach for a nutritious and delicious meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs

  • ½ pound 90/10 ground beef
  • ½ pound mild Italian ground pork sausage
  • ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg (beaten)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves (finely minced)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Soup Base

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ small white onion (diced)
  • 3 medium carrots (peeled and diced)
  • 3 celery ribs (diced)
  • 3 garlic cloves (finely minced)
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup acini de pepe pasta
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, plus more for serving)
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach (roughly chopped)
  • Fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped, optional for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, mild Italian sausage, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, beaten egg, finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until ingredients are evenly incorporated. Using your hands, scoop about 2 teaspoons of mixture and roll into small meatballs. Continue until you have about 48 meatballs. If your hands become sticky, spray with nonstick cooking spray as needed.
  2. Cook the meatballs: Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of the meatballs and cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer cooked meatballs to the paper towel-lined plate. Repeat the process with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and remaining meatballs.
  3. Cook the vegetables: In the same pot, add 1 tablespoon more olive oil. Add diced onion, peeled and diced carrots, and diced celery. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant.
  4. Add broth: Pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a spoon to loosen any browned bits for added flavor. Increase heat to high and bring the broth to a boil.
  5. Add pasta and seasonings: Gradually add the acini de pepe pasta while stirring to prevent clumping. Stir in salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Gently add the browned meatballs back into the soup. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 7-9 minutes until the pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through.
  6. Add spinach and serve: Stir in the roughly chopped fresh baby spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until spinach wilts and is fully incorporated into the soup. Serve the soup hot with extra red pepper flakes and chopped parsley on top if desired.

Notes

  • Acini de pepe pasta is a small pasta perfect for soups, but you can substitute with orzo or pastina if unavailable.
  • To prevent meatball mixture from sticking to hands, lightly spritz hands with nonstick cooking spray during rolling.
  • Adjust red pepper flakes to your preferred spice level or omit for a milder soup.
  • For a lower fat version, use leaner meats or turkey sausage.
  • Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on stovetop.

Keywords: Italian Wedding Soup, meatballs, acini de pepe, chicken broth, spinach soup, homemade meatballs

Find it online: https://famdishes.com/italian-wedding-soup-recipe/