This Italian Wedding Soup recipe is the best! Hearty meatballs, tender pasta, and an array of fresh veggies simmer in a simple, yet flavorful broth.
Like our recent Chicken and Stars, this recipe is a perfect example of a light pasta soup that totally satisfies.
Italian Wedding Soup is a classic Italian-American soup, and a staple on menus at pasta restaurants and pizza shops.
But once you try homemade, we bet you’ll never order it again!
Why You’ll Love It
You’ll love this Italian Wedding Soup recipe for its comforting warmth and rich flavors, making it a perfect dish for any season.
One of the key reasons to adore this soup is its use of simple ingredients. Nothing fancy or hard to find here.
Another fantastic aspect of this recipe is that it’s easy to make, yet it delivers such a delicious and complex flavor profile. From the savory meatballs to the aromatic vegetables simmered in a delicious broth, every element comes together seamlessly.
Ingredient Notes
For a complete list, along with exact measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post. Here are the main ingredients you’re going to need to make Italian Wedding Soup:
- Ground Beef and Pork: You can also add ground lamb into the mix, or go with ground chicken for a healthier option.
- Parmesan Cheese: Used both in the meatballs and optionally as a rind in the soup.
- Breadcrumbs: These help to bind the meatballs and keep them moist. You can use plain or Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, depending on your preference.
- Aromatics (Onion, Garlic, Carrots, Celery): These vegetables create the soup’s flavor foundation. They should be diced uniformly for even cooking.
- Chicken and Beef Broth: You can use one or the other if you prefer, but we like the combination.
- Acini de Pepe Pasta: This small pasta is traditional in Italian Wedding Soup. If unavailable, other small pasta shapes like ditalini, orzo, or stars can be substituted.
- Spinach: It should be added towards the end of cooking to retain its color and slight crunch.
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Fold together, being careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough meatballs. Form mixture into 1 inch meatballs (it will make 20-25 meatballs).
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and sear on all sides until golden brown (they do not need to be fully cooked at this point). Remove to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until they are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in chicken broth, beef broth, Italian seasoning and parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add meatballs. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
- Stir in pasta. Simmer until pasta is cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in chopped spinach and cook a couple of minutes, until it has wilted.
- Serve along with warm, crusty bread.
Serving Suggestions
We usually enjoy this soup as a light main dish, along with some crusty bread and a green salad.
It’s also a wonderful appetizer. Start your Italian night with a cup of soup, then follow it up with Steak Pizzaiola, Chicken Cacciatore or Eggplant Parm.
Variations
Italian Wedding Soup typically doesn’t vary much in its base ingredients. That being said, it’s your soup, make it how you like. Here are some ideas:
- Swap the ground beef and pork for Italian sausage. It adds a new layer of flavors.
- Replace pasta with rice or quinoa for a different grain option.
- Add more veggies. We especially love mushrooms here. Or try different greens like kale or arugula.
- Replace the meatballs with diced rotisserie chicken for lazier days.
- Give it a flavor boost with a few tablespoons of Pesto Sauce.
Leftovers and Storage
Italian wedding soup refrigerates well for 4-5 days. First, allow it to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container for refrigeration.
It can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Just thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
Reheat the soup in a pan on stovetop over medium heat until heated through. Note that the pasta will have absorbed some of the liquid, so you may wish to add some water to regain the soupy consistency.
A Few Tips
- Don’t Overmix Meatballs: When preparing the meatballs, mix the ingredients just until combined. Overmixing can lead to tough, dense meatballs.
- Sauté Vegetables Until Softened: Before adding the broth, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until they begin to soften. This enhances their natural sweetness and flavors.
- Add Greens at the End: Stir in the spinach or other greens just before serving. This preserves their color and texture, ensuring they don’t become overcooked and wilted.
- Let it Rest: If time allows, let the soup sit off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
We hope you love this Italian wedding soup recipe as much as we do. It’s amazing what flavors can develop from such simple ingredients.
For more easy and delicious meals, check out our hand-picked collection of Dinner Ideas for Tonight. Until next time, happy cooking!
Italian Wedding Soup, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great soups!
Portuguese Bean Soup
Finnish Salmon Soup
Caldo de Res
Sopa de Fideo
Birria Ramen
Yakamein
Sancocho
Italian Wedding Soup
Italian Wedding Soup is a restaurant classic featuring hearty meatballs and pasta in a light and flavorful broth.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- ½ pound lean ground beef ( you can sub with ground chicken instead of ground beef and pork)
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Soup
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- 9 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 inch parmesan rind (optional)
- 1 cup acino de pepe pasta (or other small pasta shape)
- 6oz fresh spinach, chopped
Instructions
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Fold together, being careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough meatballs. Form mixture into 1 inch meatballs (it will make 20-25 meatballs).
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and sear on all sides until golden brown (they do not need to be fully cooked at this point). Remove to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until they are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in chicken broth, beef broth, Italian seasoning and parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add meatballs. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
- Stir in pasta. Simmer until pasta is cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in chopped spinach and cook a couple of minutes, until it has wilted.
- Serve along with warm, crusty bread.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 317Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 83mgSodium 1718mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 23g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
Get griddling! Try these Blackstone Recipes!
Never miss a recipe!
Join the GypsyPlate mailing list and get easy dinner recipes right in your mailbox. From homestyle comfort food to exotic dishes from around the world.
