Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting and hearty soup featuring tender homemade meatballs, delicate pasta, fresh spinach, and a flavorful chicken broth, perfect for a cozy meal any day of the year.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Other
- 3/4 cup acini di pepe or orzo pasta
- 4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- Extra Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Shape the mixture into small 1-inch meatballs and set them aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute to release its aroma.
- Simmer Soup Base: Pour in the chicken broth and add the dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook Meatballs: Carefully lower the prepared meatballs into the boiling soup. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, allowing the meatballs to cook through.
- Add Pasta: Stir in the acini di pepe or orzo pasta. Continue to simmer the soup for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and cooked through.
- Add Spinach & Final Seasoning: Gently stir in the chopped fresh spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until wilted. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with extra grated Parmesan cheese. Serve hot and enjoy your comforting Italian Wedding Soup.
Notes
- For convenience, you can use store-bought mini meatballs instead of making your own.
- Kale or escarole can be substituted for spinach to vary the greens.
- You can prepare the meatballs in advance and refrigerate or freeze for future use.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute breadcrumbs and pasta with gluten-free alternatives.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 710mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
