Italian Wedding Soup is loaded with homemade Italian meatballs, savory veg, umami parmesan, and classic Italian seasoning. It's one of our favorite soups for lazy winter days, but it's great for hearty dinners any time of year.
¼teaspoonred pepper flakesoptional, but add nice flavor
6cupslow-sodium chicken broth
1Parmesan rindoptional but delicious!
1cupsmall pastaI used ditalini, but orzo or anything very small will work about 90 grams
2cupsfresh chopped spinach
Instructions
Homemade Meatballs
Tear bread into small pieces and place in a food processor (a blender may work). Process until the bread is in fine crumbs, and combine it with water. Stir and let sit for a few minutes. (*If you do not have a food processor, you may also mash the bread with the water until it is in fine crumbs).
In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and soaked bread until just combined — don't overmix!
Shape into 1" balls (I get about 30-35) and place on a plate.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large stock pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. They do not have to be cooked through. Set aside. (*OPTIONAL: you can also bake the meatballs if you do not want the juices in the soup -- see instructions below)
Italian Wedding Soup
When you've done browning the meatballs, remove all from the pot.
Add the carrots, celery, and onion (no need to clean out the pot!) and cook in the leftover fat from the meatballs for about 5 minutes or until softened.
Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, bay leaf, and pepper flakes if using. Cook for 1 minute.
Stir in chicken broth and Parmesan rind and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are almost tender.
Stir in the uncooked pasta and meatballs. Cover and reduce the heat to medium, then cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
Stir in spinach and serve.
Video
Notes
To bake your meatballs: If you prefer not to have the extra fat and juices from the meatballs in your soup, you can bake them at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until browned on the outside.Double your meatballs: These meatballs are a half batch of my Homemade Meatball recipe -- so it is easily doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled! I love making a big batch of meatballs at once and having a stash in the freezer. See my original meatball post for storage tips.Storing & Make Ahead:
Store: This soup will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge, although the pasta will become softer as it sits. If you prefer, you can cook the pasta separately and add it just before serving.
Freeze: This soup can also be frozen. Again, if you are planning to freeze it I would leave the pasta out and add cooked pasta just before serving.
Prep Ahead: This recipe is a labor of love but lots can be prepped in advance! Make the meatballs in advance and refrigerate or freeze them. Cut the veggies in advance and refrigerate. Use leftover cooked pasta to cut down cooking time.