Italian Wedding Soup

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Italian Wedding Soup

Made with homemade (or store-bought) meatballs, tiny pasta, spinach, and a wonderfully flavored broth, this easy Italian Wedding Soup recipe is light, but filling. Perfectly satisfying on a cold dreary day!

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time50

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: easy italian wedding soup recipe, easy soup recipes, Italian wedding meatball soup

Servings: servings

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1 clove garlic , minced
1 large egg , beaten
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

For the Soup

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion , diced small
1 large carrot , peeled and diced small (1/4-inch pieces)
1 stalk celery , diced small (1/4-inch pieces)
4 cloves garlic , minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
24 meatballs (see note)
1/2 cup dry acini de pepe pasta
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Instructions

Make the Meatballs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 1 or 2 rimmed baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together all the meatball ingredients (except the olive oil) until evenly incorporated.
Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, form mixture into balls (you should end up with approximately 30 meatballs.)
Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Working in batches, add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. (Add more olive oil if needed and turn down heat if they’re starting to over-brown. They should just have a nice golden crust.)
Place browned meatballs on the baking sheets and transfer to the oven to finish cooking for about 15 to 18 minutes (or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F.)

Make the Soup

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery and sauté, stirring, until vegetables are tender and onions are softened and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Season with the crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, and a bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour in the chicken broth, beef broth, and vinegar; bring to a boil.
Add in the cooked meatballs and acini de pepe pasta; reduce heat and gently simmer for 12-15 minutes.
Take off heat and add in the spinach; stir until wilted.
Serve in bowls with 4 to 5 meatballs each and top with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Enjoy with crusty bread on the side!

Notes

Use store-bought meatballs, if preferred. If you don't want to make the meatballs from scratch, you can use cooked and seasoned store-bought meatballs. They should be about 1-inch round, thawed if frozen.

Nutrition