Easy Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Homemade Meatballs
This Italian Wedding Soup is made with simple, wholesome ingredients that come together beautifully. The meatballs, broth, pasta, and fresh spinach mixed with Italian seasoning create the perfect balance and flavor.
Ingredients
Homemade Meatballs
- ½ lb lean ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs*
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¾ tsp salt, or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (Optional)
Soup
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow or white onion (about ½ large onion)
- 1 cup chopped carrots (about 2-3 medium-sized carrots)
- ¾ cup chopped celery (2 ribs)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning (Optional)
- ¾ cup acini di pepe pasta**
- 5 oz baby spinach, or to taste***
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare the Homemade Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, oregano, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined. Form into 1-inch (2.5 cm) meatballs.
- Cook the Meatballs: Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large pan or skillet (Optional) over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. They will finish cooking in the soup. Set aside.
- Build the Soup Base: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the Italian seasoning and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Simmer the Soup: Pour in the chicken broth, add the browned meatballs, and acini di pepe pasta. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in baby spinach until wilted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Serve: Spoon the Italian Wedding Soup into serving bowls and finish each one with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- *Plain breadcrumbs can be used for this recipe; just add about ½ tsp of Italian seasoning.
- **Orzo, ditalini, or pastina can be substituted for acini di pepe pasta.
- ***Other greens you can use are escarole, to make it more traditional, kale, or Swiss chard.
- Using 2 tablespoons of olive oil to brown the meatballs is optional, but not necessary.
- To save time, I brown the meatballs in a separate skillet while I start making the soup using a different pot. However, you can brown the meatballs in the same pot you're using to make the soup.
- If you plan to have leftovers or are meal prepping, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl before serving. This helps prevent the pasta from absorbing too much of the broth as it sits in the fridge or freezer.
Nutritional values are approximate and calculated per serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 442kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 1824mg, Potassium: 642mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 6189IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 201mg, Iron: 4mg
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