The Best Italian Wedding Soup
- PREP 10min
- COOK 50min
- TOTAL 1hrs
Our Italian wedding soup recipe marries homemade meatballs with a rich and savory broth. The type of ground meat you use is up to you. Ground beef, pork, turkey and chicken all work well. You can use one or combine two types of meat for a more complex and tasty meatball. When we make this recipe, we love to combine ground pork and ground turkey. The pork makes the meatballs ultra juicy and rich and the turkey keeps them light. I absolutely love the combination!
You Will Need
For the Soup
2 tablespoons neutral oil like grape seed or vegetable oil
1/2 medium-large onion, chopped (140 grams)
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (140 grams)
2 celery ribs, finely diced (140 grams)
2 garlic cloves, minced (2 teaspoons)
1 bay leaf
8 cups chicken stock, here’s our recipe for homemade stock
1/2 cup (4 ounces) small pasta like Ancini di Pepe, orzo or pearl couscous
4 cups (4 ounces) baby spinach, substitute kale or escarole
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Handful fresh dill, optional
For the Meatballs
1/2 cup (35 grams) bread crumbs, we prefer panko or homemade bread crumbs)
1/2 cup milk, dairy or non-dairy
1 large egg
1/4 cup (1/2 ounce) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef, pork, chicken, turkey or a combination; we prefer a 50-50 blend of pork and turkey
Directions
Prepare the Meatballs
Stir breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl, and then let sit for 5 minutes. Add the egg, cheese, oregano, salt and the pepper. Stir until well blended.
Add the ground meat and use a fork or your fingers to gently mix everything until combined. For the most tender meatballs, try your best not to over mix.
Wet your hands, and then form the mixture into ½-inch balls (about 2 teaspoons). You should get about 35 meatballs. A small cookie scoop is useful, here (see our video).
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Place the meatballs down into the hot oil and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Depending on the shape or size of the pot, this might need to be done in two batches. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate.
Make the Soup
Check the bottom of the pot used to brown the meatballs. If there is a lot of oil/fat left, remove most of it. Place the pot back over medium heat, and then add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring every few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften; 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and bay leaf. Cook, while stirring the garlic around the pan, about 1 minute.
Pour in the stock and bring to a low simmer. Use a spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Taste the soup then adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Depending on the stock used, you might need to add 1/2 or more teaspoons of salt.
Simmer the soup for 20 minutes then add the pasta and browned meatballs. Simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Dairy-free meatballs: Substitute the milk for unsweetened dairy-free milk and the cheese for 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
- Gluten-free meatballs: Substitute the bread crumbs for crushed gluten-free cereal or crackers
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. We included 8 ounces of turkey and 8 ounces of pork for the meatballs.
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