Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting and hearty soup featuring homemade mini meatballs made from lean ground beef and pork, fresh vegetables, and tender acini di pepe pasta, all simmered in a flavorful low-sodium chicken broth and finished with fresh spinach and shredded parmesan cheese for an authentic Italian taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 8 oz. lean ground beef
- 8 oz. ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano (or 3/4 tsp dried oregano)
- 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Soup
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups chopped carrots
- 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
- 5 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dry acini di pepe pasta (or orzo pasta)
- 6 oz fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Finely shredded parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine lean ground beef, ground pork, fresh white bread crumbs, chopped parsley, minced oregano, shredded parmesan cheese, beaten egg, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything gently until just combined without overworking the meat.
- Form the meatballs: Shape the mixture into small bite-sized meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter, and set them aside on a plate.
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped carrots, onion, celery, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.
- Brown the meatballs: Add the meatballs to the pot with the vegetables and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. They do not need to be fully cooked at this stage as they will simmer in the broth later.
- Add broth and simmer: Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook the soup for about 15 minutes to allow the meatballs to cook through and flavors to meld.
- Cook the pasta: Stir in the dry acini di pepe pasta and continue to simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite.
- Add spinach and finish: Stir in the roughly chopped fresh baby spinach and cook for another 2 minutes until the spinach wilts.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra finely shredded parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh white bread crumbs made from soft bread rather than dried crumbs for moist meatballs.
- You can substitute orzo pasta if acini di pepe is unavailable.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control saltiness in the soup.
- The meatballs can be browned ahead of time and refrigerated before adding to the soup to save cooking time.
- If preferred, fresh herbs can be substituted with dried herbs, adjusting quantities as noted.
- This soup freezes well; cool completely before freezing in airtight containers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 396 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 362 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
