Italian Wedding Soup

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Italian Wedding Soup

Made with meatballs, tiny pasta, spinach, and a wonderfully flavored broth, this easy Italian Wedding Soup recipe is light, but satisfying. Perfect on a chilly dreary day!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Prep Time45

Cook Time25

Total Time1 10

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

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

Servings: servings

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef
⅓ cup Italian-seasoned dried bread crumbs
⅓ cup finely diced onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 large egg beaten
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tbsp milk
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil

For the Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion diced small
1 large carrot peeled and diced small (¼-inch pieces)
1 stalk celery diced small (¼-inch pieces)
4 cloves garlic minced
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
24 meatballs
½ cup dry acini de pepe pasta
3 cups fresh baby spinach
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

Instructions

Make the Meatballs

Preheat oven to 375°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°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!

Video

Notes

To cut way down on prep time, make the meatballs ahead of time. They freeze really well. Or use a high quality store-bought brand.
If you can't find acini de pepe pasta, pearl couscous, orzo, or ditilani can be used instead. Cooking time might need to be adjusted.
Salt the broth to taste before adding pasta or greens, since both absorb salt.
If broth tastes flat, add a splash of lemon to brighten it.

Nutrition