Savory, warm, and deeply comforting. This Italian Wedding Soup features tender homemade meatballs floating in a rich, vegetable-packed broth. Father Robert always made hearty soups for us, and this Authentic Italian Soup Recipes tradition reminds me of those cozy childhood dinners. You will love how quickly this hearty meal comes together for a weeknight family dinner.
Why You'll Love This
This Italian Wedding Soup balances lean proteins with nutrient-dense vegetables in a single pot. The primary benefit is how the homemade meatballs infuse the chicken broth with savory depth without requiring hours of simmering. You will also appreciate that cooking the pasta separately keeps the leftovers perfectly intact, avoiding a mushy texture. It is a fantastic Italian Wedding Soup Easy option that Ethan consistently asks for when the weather cools down.
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Ingredients
Creating this Italian Wedding Soup requires simple pantry staples and fresh ground meats. Gathering these components ensures your Italian Chicken Soup Recipes turn out rich and flavorful.
The full Italian Wedding Soup instructions are right in the card below.
Main Ingredients
- Ground beef & pork: Combines for tender, flavorful meatballs.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, savory bite to the meat mixture.
- Chicken broth: Forms the clear, savory base of the soup.
- Acini de pepe pasta: A small pasta shape that cooks quickly and fits neatly on a spoon.
- Fresh spinach: Wilts into the hot broth for vibrant green color and texture.
- Carrots, celery, & onion: The classic aromatic vegetable foundation.
Optional Extras
You can swap the spinach for curly kale to give the broth a heartier, more robust texture. Adding a splash of fresh lemon juice right before serving brightens the Wedding Soup Ideas profile beautifully.
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup (Step-by-Step)
This straightforward method guarantees tender meatballs and a clear broth, making it a reliable meal for busy evenings.
Form Meatballs Gently combine the beef, pork, egg, breadcrumbs, and seasonings, rolling them into small balls. Keeping a light hand prevents dense meat, resulting in tender bites that cook evenly.
Brown Meat Heat olive oil in a large pot and brown the meatballs in batches for two minutes before removing them. This develops a savory exterior crust, leaving rich flavor bits on the bottom of the pot.
Sauté Vegetables Soften the diced onions, carrots, and celery in the same pot for six minutes until tender.
Should I cook the garlic at the same time as the onions? No, adding the garlic and Italian seasoning during the last minute prevents burning, keeping the aromatics sweet and fragrant.
Simmer Broth Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the browned meatballs to simmer gently. This finishes cooking the meat safely while infusing the liquid, creating a savory, golden base.
Cook Pasta Boil the acini de pepe in a separate pot of salted water until al dente, then drain well. Cooking the starches separately keeps the soup from becoming cloudy, yielding a perfectly clear Italian Pastina Soup style broth in your bowl.
Add Spinach Stir the fresh spinach into the hot soup just until wilted, then ladle over the cooked pasta. This brief cooking time preserves the bright green color, presenting a vibrant and comforting dish ready for Parmesan.
Tips
Getting the ideal texture for your Italian Wedding Soup relies on handling the ingredients with care.
Grate fresh cheese → melts smoother than pre-packaged → look for creamy ribbons melting into your Easy Italian Wedding Soup.
Don't overmix meat → prevents tough meatballs → look for a loose, tender bite.
Brown in batches → avoids steaming the meat → look for a deep brown crust on all sides.
Cook pasta separately → stops starch from thickening the broth → look for a clear, fluid liquid.
Add spinach last → maintains vibrant color and texture → look for bright green, softly wilted leaves.
Follow Aliana on Pinterest →Variations
You can easily adapt this dish to fit what you have available in the kitchen. For a Crockpot Italian Wedding Soup approach, brown the meatballs first, then slow-cook them with the broth and vegetables on low for four hours. Swapping the beef and pork for ground turkey also creates a lighter, leaner flavor profile without sacrificing the savory notes.
Storage
Store the broth and the cooked pasta in entirely separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keeping them apart ensures this Italian Wedding Soup Authentic style dish doesn't turn into a mushy stew overnight. Reheat the broth gently on the stovetop until simmering before pouring it over the cold pasta in your serving bowls.
Serving Suggestions
This Italian Wedding Soup is incredibly hearty, making it a wonderful standalone meal. I love serving it with a thick slice of warm garlic bread to soak up the savory Italian Wedding Soup With Chicken And Vegetables style broth. A crisp, acidic side salad dressed with a sharp vinaigrette also balances the richness of the meatballs perfectly.
FAQs About Italian Wedding Soup
Can I bake the meatballs instead?
Yes, you can bake the formed meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes instead of pan-frying. This reduces the hands-on time and keeps the The Best Italian Wedding Soup method simple to clean up, though you will miss some of the browned pan drippings in the broth.
What if I can't find acini de pepe?
Any very small pasta shape works wonderfully as a substitute in this recipe. Orzo, ditalini, or even broken spaghetti pieces mimic the traditional texture without altering the overall cooking time significantly.
Can I freeze the soup?
You can freeze the broth and meatballs in an airtight container for up to three months. However, you should boil a fresh batch of pasta when you are ready to serve, as frozen pasta turns extremely mushy upon thawing.
Why did my meatballs fall apart?
Meatballs usually crumble if the mixture lacks a proper binder or if they are stirred too aggressively in the pot. Ensure the egg and breadcrumbs are fully incorporated, and only gently nudge them with a wooden spoon while browning.
More Recipes You'll Love
Dinner feels so cozy when you have a warm bowl of Italian Wedding Soup ready on the stove. If you enjoy this, you will love exploring other hearty Authentic Italian Soup Recipes.
Gave this recipe your own spin? Share it on Pinterest @AlianaRecipes - I can't wait to see your take on it!
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Gently combine the beef, pork, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 3 cloves of garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper, then roll into ¾-inch balls. Handling the meat lightly prevents it from becoming dense, resulting in tender, bite-sized meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot and brown the meatballs in batches for two minutes before removing them. This develops a savory exterior crust, leaving rich flavor bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Soften the diced onions, carrots, and celery in the same pot over medium heat for six minutes. This step releases the natural sugars from the vegetables, creating a sweet and fragrant aromatic base.
- Add the remaining 3 cloves of garlic and the Italian seasoning to the pot, cooking for one minute until fragrant. Cooking the garlic briefly ensures it releases its oils without turning bitter, yielding a robust herbal aroma.
- Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and gently add the browned meatballs back into the pot. Simmering the meat in the liquid finishes the cooking process safely while enriching the golden broth.
- Boil the acini de pepe in a separate pot of salted water until al dente, drain, and divide among serving bowls. Cooking the starches separately keeps the soup from becoming cloudy, yielding a perfectly clear liquid.
- Stir the fresh spinach into the hot soup pot and cook for about two minutes until just wilted before ladling over the pasta. This brief heat exposure preserves the bright green color, presenting a vibrant and comforting dish ready for Parmesan.
Nutrition
Notes
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Italian Wedding Soup:
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