Italian Wedding Soup with Homemade Meatballs

Name: Italian Wedding Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs; 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons milk; 1 egg; 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley; 2 teaspoons minced garlic; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional); 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 cup yellow onion (diced); 1 cup celery (diced); 1 cup carrot (diced); 1 tablespoon minced garlic; ½ cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay); 10 cups low-sodium chicken stock; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes; 3/4 cup acini di pepe or orzo; 6 oz fresh spinach (chopped); ¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped); 2 eggs; ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving); salt and pepper (to taste)

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This classic recipe for Italian Wedding Soup is a hearty soup made with rich, flavorful broth, tender meatballs, greens, and pasta.

Featuring Italian Baked Meatballs and nuanced broth, this is the absolute best recipe for Wedding Soup. Just be sure to pair it with Italian Bread or Dutch Oven Bread to sop up every last bit of the flavorful broth.

What is Wedding Soup?

I first fell in love with this meatball soup when it was served at a friend's wedding. So I, like many others, thought it was an Italian tradition to serve Wedding Soup at weddings. However, the name actually originates from the ingredients being married together and has nothing to do with actual weddings.

It is a rich Italian soup filled with vegetables, greens, an extremely flavorful broth, and tender meatballs. Truly the ingredients marry together to create a harmonious dish that is downright delicious.

My recipe for Italian Wedding Soup is not complicated to make, yet the flavors are out of this world and impressive. In fact, this soup can be ready in about 30 minutes, making it easy enough to prepare any night of the week.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients needed for Italian Wedding Soup.

Ground Meat: For the meatballs, I recommend using lean ground meat, like ground sirloin, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
Broth: I use beef broth for the meatballs and chicken broth for the soup. While you can use chicken broth in place of the beef broth in place of the meatballs, do not use beef broth in place of the chicken broth in the soup. And regardless, select beef broth and chicken broth that is low-sodium. You can also opt to use homemade chicken broth.
Parmesan: It is best to use freshly grated parmesan, not parmesan from a canister.
Wine: Use a dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. And remember, any time you cook with wine, select one that is worth drinking. You never want to use cooking wine, as the flavor is not comparable.
Pasta: Italian Wedding Soup is typically made with acini di pepe, which is pearl-shaped pasta. It can be difficult to find, so I recommend using orzo in its place.
Spinach: Fresh baby spinach is my preferred green when preparing Wedding Soup. The delicate flavors of the spinach don't overwhelm the soup as heartier greens can do. If using a heartier green, such as kale, escarole, or mustard greens, be sure to remove the stem, chop it into bite-size pieces, and add it to the soup along with the pasta, as they will need a longer cooking time.

How to Prepare Italian Wedding Soup

For the Meatballs

I use my recipe for homemade meatballs because they are truly the best. They are tender, crispy, and flavorful and really add insane flavor to the soup. While I prefer baking the meatballs for a lighter soup and better texture on the meatballs, I do offer instructions on how to brown them on the stove, which would make this a one-pot recipe.

In a large mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, milk, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes together. Add the meat to the mixture and just combine. Do not over-mix, as this will result in tough meatballs.

Side by side mixing bowl with meatball mixture.

Shape the meatballs into ¾ inch to 1-inch-sized balls and place them onto a rimmed baking sheet. It is crucial to make sure that each meatball is uniform in size so that they all cook in the same amount of time. I love using a small cookie scoop, or tablespoon measuring spoon, to ensure each meatball is the same size.
Now for my secret for baking the BEST meatballs. Pour about ½ cup of beef broth (or chicken broth) around the meatballs and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until just browned. The broth will keep the meatballs super moist and the high heat of the oven will let the meatballs crisp up, as the broth evaporates.

Meatballs before and after baking on sheet pan.

If you would like to brown the meatballs in the pan, instead of baking the meatballs, prepare the meatball mixture as directed. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan, and brown the meatballs on each side, until golden and crispy. Remove the meatballs from the pan and proceed with the directions for preparing the soup.

For the Soup

While the meatballs are baking, or after you browned the meatballs, proceed with preparing the soup.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
Once the oil is heated, add in the onions, celery, and carrots, and saute until the veggies have softened, stirring frequently. Add in the garlic and saute for just a minute longer. This helps to prevent the garlic from burning, which can quickly ruin a dish.

Onions and celery sauteed in dutch oven pan.

Next, you want to deglaze the pan. That simply means to add a bit of liquid, either wine or broth for this recipe, and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan--this adds incredible flavor to the soup. If using wine, turn the heat up to high and allow the alcohol to cook off and the wine to reduce in half. This will take about 2 minutes.
Add in the chicken broth, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, which gives the broth time to really develop flavor.
Add the meatballs, along with any juices remaining on the rimmed pan, and pasta if using. Cook until the pasta is just about tender, which is typically 4-6 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and parsley and cook for 2 minutes, allowing the spinach to wilt.

Side by side dutch oven with simmering soup before and after adding spinach.

Now for a classic, interesting addition to the Italian soup, we are going to make a parmesan egg mixture and add it to the soup, giving this soup an incredibly rich, almost creamy consistency. To do this, simply whisk together the eggs and grated parmesan cheese. Give the soup a stir in a circular motion, and with the soup still spinning, gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring with a fork to break the egg mixture into thin ribbons. Cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.

Side by side photo showing swirling soup and after cooking.

Turn off the heat and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and parsley as desired.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Just like most soups, leftover Italian Wedding Soup is delicious and often more flavorful. The pasta will absorb some liquid as it sits, but because the pasta used in this soup is smaller, it is not significant, nor does it affect the quality of the leftovers. You may just want to add in a bit of water or chicken broth to help thin it out.

To store leftovers, allow the soup to cool slightly and then place it into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or large batches over medium-low heat, adding additional water or chicken broth, as needed until warmed through.

Italian Wedding Soup also freezes well. To freeze leftover soup, allow the soup to cool slightly and then place it into a freezer-safe container, leaving about 1 inch of space for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat as desired.

Recipe FAQs

Can frozen meatballs be used to make Italian Wedding Soup?

I highly, highly recommend using my recipe for homemade meatballs, as they give this soup so much flavor. However, in a bind, you can use small, frozen Italian-style meatballs and add them to the broth when simmering. An even better idea is to freeze a batch of homemade meatballs to have on hand to save time and STILL enjoy all the rich flavors of this recipe.

Can I use frozen spinach in this recipe?

Yes! You can substitute a 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach for fresh spinach. Be sure to thaw the spinach and drain off any excess moisture so that it does not water down the soup. Add the thawed spinach to the soup when the recipe states to add the fresh spinach.

Can I prepare this soup without adding pasta?

While the addition of pasta in wedding soup is traditional, you can certainly omit it if desired.

Is the wine necessary in Wedding Soup?

Adding a dry white wine to the soup helps to give a rich depth of flavor that broth cannot achieve. That said, feel free to replace the wine with additional chicken broth if desired.

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Italian Wedding Soup