Italian Wedding Soup

This classic recipe for Italian Wedding Soup is a hearty soup made with a 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 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 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

• 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, like heartier greens can do. If using a heartier green, such as kale, escarole, or mustard greens, be sure to remove the stem, chop into bite-size pieces, and add 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, and 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.

• 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.

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 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 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 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

More Delicious Soup Recipes

• Lasagna Soup
• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
• Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Homemade Chicken Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
• Vegetable Beef Soup
• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.

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Italian Wedding Soup

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

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 201kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• ▢ 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
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional
• ▢ 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey

For the Soup:

• ▢ 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
• ▢ ¾ 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

Cook ModePrevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

Instructions

For the meatballs:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• 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, but be sure seasonings are well dispersed.
• Shape the meatballs into ¾ inch to 1-inch sized balls, using a small cookie scoop, and place them onto a rimmed baking sheet.
• Pour ½ cup of beef broth around the meatballs and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until just browned.

For the Soup:

• While the meatballs are baking, heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots, and saute until veggies have softened for about 6 - 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
• Add in the wine and turn the heat to high. Use a spatula to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, while letting the wine cook off for 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.
• Add the meatballs, along with any juices remaining on the rimmed pan, and pasta if using. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, or until the pasta is just about tender.
• Stir in the spinach and parsley and cook for 2 minutes, allowing the spinach to wilt.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and parmesan. Stir the soup 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.
• Turn off the heat and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and parsley as desired.

Notes

Ground Meat: For the meatballs, I recommend using lean ground meat, like ground sirloin, ground chicken, or ground turkey.

Browning Meatballs: If you would like to brown the meatballs in the pan, instead of baking the meatballs, prepare the meatballs 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.

Using Frozen Meatballs: Use small, Italian-style meatballs and add the frozen meatballs to the soup when simmering the vegetables and broth. 

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. If you don’t drink wine, simply use additional chicken broth.

Frozen Spinach: Feel free to use 10 ounces of thawed, and drained frozen spinach. Add to the soup when the fresh spinach is added.

Using Other Greens: If opting to use a heartier green, such as kale, mustard greens, or escarole, be sure to remove the stem, chop into bite-size pieces, and add when you add the pasta, as they need longer cooking time than spinach.

Broth: Feel free to replace the beef broth in the meatballs with chicken broth, but do not use anything other than chicken broth for the soup.

Storage: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature and then place into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternatively, place the cooled soup into a freezer-safe container, leaving space for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheating Instructions: 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 525mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3362IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg

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