Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting classic featuring tender meatballs, small pasta, and leafy greens in a savory broth.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground turkey
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup acini di pepe or orzo pasta
- 4 cups fresh spinach or escarole, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix all meatball ingredients until well combined. Roll into 1-inch balls and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened, about 5–6 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Carefully drop in meatballs. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes.
- Stir in pasta and cook for another 8–10 minutes until pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through.
- Add spinach and cook 1–2 more minutes until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot with a sprinkle of parmesan.
- Slow Cooker variant: Sauté vegetables in a pan, then add all soup ingredients (except pasta and spinach) to slow cooker. Cook on low 6–7 hours or high 3–4 hours. Add pasta during the last 30 minutes. Stir in spinach just before serving.
- Instant Pot variant: Use sauté mode for veggies and meatballs. Add broth and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick release, stir in pasta, and sauté until tender. Add spinach last.
Notes
- Meatballs can be made ahead and frozen for quick weeknight meals.
- For gluten-free version, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Acini di pepe or orzo pasta both work; adjust cooking time for other shapes.
- To lighten the soup, use low-sodium chicken broth.
- This soup yields about 6 servings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop; Slow Cooker; Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 830 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
Keywords: Italian Wedding Soup, soup recipes