Italian wedding soup is a popular dish consisting of meatballs and vegetables in a broth. You can use premade meatballs but I like to go with homemade ones that are super easy and just packed with flavour! The rest of the soup is made with onions, carrots, celery and spinach along with small pasta and some parmesan cheese that’s melted right into the broth. This soup takes very little effort to make, especially if you make the meatballs the day before, and I like to make a double batch on the weekend to have leftovers for quick meals during the week!
Italian Wedding Soup
A soup with the marriage of meat and vegetables; meatballs and onions, carrots, celery and spinach.
ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or pork, or sausage)
- 1 small onion, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced/grated
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or oregano)
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (or milk)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup carrot, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or oregano)
- 8 ounces small pasta (such as acini de pepe or pearl couscous) (gluten free for gluten free)
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
For the meatballs:
For the soup:
directions
- Mix everything well, form into 1 tablespoon balls, place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400F/200C oven until cooked and lightly golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onions, carrot, celery and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, fennel, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.
- Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pasta, and meatballs, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 8 minutes
- Turn off the heat, add the parmesan and spinach, mix and let the cheese melt into the broth and the spinach wilt.
- Add the lemon juice and parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
For the meatballs:
For the soup:
Option: Use italian sausage to form into meatballs.
Tip: Make the meatballs ahead of time.
Giant Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Swedish Meatballs
Lamb and Mint Meatballs with Farro Risotto and Cilantro Pesto
Lamb Meatballs in a Mint Tomato Sauce
Greek Meatballs (Keftedes) in Pitas with Tzatziki
Sriracha Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
Meatball Parmesan
Thai Meatballs in Curry
Hawaiian Meatballs
Greek Meatballs
Spaghetti and Meatball Soup
Leave a Reply