This Hearty Italian Wedding Soup recipe is solid springtime material. Fresh greens, soul-warming broth and delicious mini meatballs married together in a nourishing weeknight supper.
Soups are a staple in our house and based off of our blog analytics I’d say they probably are in yours, too. (Fun fact: our soup and stews recipes perform higher than any other kind of dish I share here on Gastro Senses).
I honestly adore soup. It’s just been simply grounded in me as a child of an Eastern European family that you have to eat soup in order to keep your belly working properly. Some of my first memories are me eating soup for lunch. And I’m sure my baby will too, since he’s having soup five out of seven lunches per week.
I’m constantly trying to reinvent classics, perfect my favourites and sometimes just go a bit wild and create something new altogether. Today I’m sharing my take on the classic Hearty Italian Wedding soup that the whole family devoured. Super nutritious slurpy deliciousness that will nourish your soul. Also it doesn’t take five and half days to make, all done in less than 30 minutes using one pot!
Also, ALSO, did you know why it’s called ‘Wedding Soup’? According to our good old friend Wikipedia, the name of the soup literally means “Married Soup” (in Italian culture) as a reference to the yummy combination (“marriage”) of greens and meaty broth. Due to poor translation it’s now known as wedding soup. Please tell me I wasn’t alone thinking that this soup is traditionally served on Italian weddings.
How To Make Hearty Italian Wedding Soup
First we start working on our mini meatballs. I used ground beef, but feel free to use whatever meat or combination of meats you prefer. My other favourite would be a combo of ground beef and ground pork.
We add other ingredients to the mix, like egg, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, parmesan cheese, some Italian seasoning and a touch of milk.
Then, we’ll mix it all together until combined, making sure not to over mix, otherwise we’ll end up with dense and heavy meatballs.
Then we’ll form our cute mini meatballs and lay them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. I used a measuring teaspoon to form the meatballs. Cover them with plastic wrap and off tot he fridge they go.
Next step would be to sauté our vegetables, and please don’t skip this step. Because flavour! That only takes 7-10 minutes or until soft.
The rest is pretty straightforward, we’ll cover the vegetables with chicken broth, throw our meatballs and let it simmer to infuse the broth. Add the Acini de Pepe or other tiny pasta and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Finish with the addition of our greens and serve with fresh parmesan chunks and crusty loaf.
Hearty Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/4 cup Italian panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Soup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots finely chopped
- 1/4 cup celery finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 8 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- bay leaf
- 1/2 cup acini di pepe
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all meatball ingredients and mix until combined. Don’t over mix.
- Form meatballs using a measuring teaspoon. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in refrigerator.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook, covered until soft, 7-10 minutes.
- Add chicken stock, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and throw in the meatballs. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to a low boil, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Add acini di pepe and continue to cook for 5 more minutes until pasta is tender.
- Add spinach, dill and parmesan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately with more parmesan cheese and a crusty loaf.
More Soup Inspiration
Have you made my recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below! Don’t forget to take a picture and tag @gastrosenses and use #gastrosenses on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations! Happy eating!
I love your spin on this classic recipe! So much flavour packed in one beautiful bowl!
Thank you so much Elaine!
We also love soups! This particular soup brings me right back to my childhood 🙂
I love your variation… thanks for sharing♥
Thank you me too! I think every nation has it’s own variation of meatball soup:)
“Is this soup only meant to be served at weddings? ” was just what I was thinking when I was reading your recipe. So you are not alone. Such a comforting soup full of flavour. Adding dill as a finishing touch must have enhanced its flavour even more. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Fouzia! You’re right the flavor on this one is bomb!
Italian Wedding Soup is one of our all time faves, and we, too are soup fans. Your version looks just amazing and I want just have a bowl of this in front of me right now!
Thank you so much Colleen!
Soups definitely remind me of my childhood and weekend lunches in particular. Sadly, I don’t make soup near enough these days but this recipe has stirred a craving for sure! It really looks hearty and declious!
Thank you Leanne! Hope you get back to soup groove soon:)
Can’t wait to try this – it sounds absolutely divine and I love the use of dill!
Thank you Yvonne! Hope you like it!
I can assure you that you are not alone in your assumption that this soup is served at Italian weddings. Thanks for clearing that up for me! We eat soup several times a week too and i’m always looking for new recipes. This sounds perfect! Pinned 🙂
Thank you so much Ann! Enjoy!
This is one of my all-time favourite soups to make and eat! You have inspired me to make it again with your beautiful photographs – it looks delicious enough to eat right off the page! Thanks for sharing, Liliya! 🙂
aww thanks so much Denise! Glad this was inspiring for you!