Italian Wedding Soup is a hearty soup boasting flavorful meatballs, healthy vegetables, and tiny pasta. The name comes from the Italian phrase “minestra maritata” which means “married soup.”
I love serving it with cheesy garlic bread and salad for a complete dinner meal!
If you love soup, you need to make this! It’s delicious, comforting, and super easy to make. For more of my favorite soup recipes, check out this broccoli cheese soup and easy chicken noodle soup.
INGREDIENT NOTES & SUBSTITUTIONS
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and complete instructions.
- Ground Beef and Pork– You could alternately use ground chicken or turkey if you prefer.
- Egg– to bind the meat and breadcrumbs to form meatballs.
- Breadcrumbs– You can use plain breadcrumbs or Panko, but I prefer to use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. If you have plain or Panko, you can simply add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasonings in the meatball mixture. Another great option is making your own breadcrumbs from fresh or stale crusty bread and seasonings.
- Parmesan cheese– Freshly grated is preferred to get the most flavorful meatballs possible, however the pre-grated cheese in the container will still work. You can also use an Italian cheese blend or a Parmesan-Romano cheese! All will taste yummy!
- Garlic and Onion powders– I prefer the simple use of these seasonings over fresh garlic and finely diced onion, however, fresh ingredients can take this to another level of deliciousness! To use fresh onion and garlic, use ¼ cup of a finely grated onion plus the juices, as well as 2 cloves of garlic minced. Mix into the meat mixture with the other ingredients and proceed with the recipe. Garlic and Onion salts will also work, however decrease to ½ teaspoon of salt instead of 1 teaspoon.
- Olive oil– I like to use extra virgin olive oil in this Italian recipe, however other neutral flavored oils will also work well.
- Onions, garlic, carrots, and celery– These are the aromatics of the soup that give this a rich and flavorful broth. You can use any variety of onions. Feel free to use chopped baby carrots if preferred.
- Chicken Stock– This makes for a deeper flavor than chicken broth. However, chicken or vegetable broth can work well in this recipe. Bouillon is also a good substitute.
- Italian Seasoning– These spices give added flavors to the broth. You can also use fresh herbs if you have them on hand.
- Acini de Pepe Pasta– This type of pasta is a tiny seed-like pasta, which when translated means “grape stones” meaning seeds of the grape. It is the traditional type of pasta used in Italian Wedding Soup; however, any small pasta will work including ditalini and orzo.
- Spinach– This gives added nutrition and beauty to this soup. Alternatively, other leafy greens such as kale and escarole have also been used in Italian Wedding Soup.
TOP TIPS
- I highly recommend searing the meatballs for 2-3 minutes on each side so they get a really nice crust.
- When searing the meatballs, make sure not to overcrowd the pan otherwise they will steam instead of sear.
- Season this soup generously with lots of salt and pepper so it doesn’t turn out bland.
STORAGE AND MAKE-AHEAD OPTIONS
You can make this ahead of time by preparing the recipe as stated but wait to boil the pasta until the day of serving. Because pasta will expand with time, the longer it stays in the broth, the more it will absorb the liquid. To prevent this, simply cook pasta in boiling water according to package instructions.
This recipe can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for 3-5 days. However, if you do not plan on eating it all on the day of cooking, you may opt to cook the pasta separately according to package instructions and add to individual bowls of soup just before serving. This prevents the pasta from absorbing too much liquid.
Italian Wedding Soup also freezes well. If freezing, prepare as directions state, only leave out the pasta until the day you consume the soup. To freeze, allow soup to completely cool before pouring it into an airtight container or freezer bag, and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- 1 egg
- ½ cup Italian style breadcrumbs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 ¼ cups carrots diced
- ¾ cup celery diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup acini de pepe pasta
- 4 oz fresh spinach
- salt and pepper to taste season generously for best results
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, pork, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder until well combined.
- Using your hands, form into ¾-1-inch meatballs to make about 28-30 meatballs.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep pot over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, place the meatballs in one layer and brown on 3 sides until they are a light golden brown, about 4-5 minutes total. Remove the meatballs from the pot and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon to the same pot over medium high heat. Once sizzling, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the minced garlic and Italian seasoning and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil.
- Carefully add the meatballs and pasta and give it a good stir. Cover the pot with a lid, and gently simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Stir in the chopped spinach during the last minute to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread or a fresh salad if desired.
Notes
- I highly recommend searing the meatballs for 2-3 minutes on each side so they get a really nice crust.
- When searing the meatballs, make sure not to overcrowd the pan otherwise they will steam instead of sear.
- Season this soup generously with lots of salt and pepper so it doesn’t turn out bland.
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