Do You Take This Soup? 🍲
We love ❤️ soup around here. Italian Wedding Soup is full of everything I like to find in my bowl. Delicious little chicken and pork meatballs are floating in a a luscious broth with lots of vegetables and teeny, tiny little balls of pasta. If you’ve never tried this soup, give it a whirl before this soup season comes to an end. It’s easy to make and Simply delish.
I used to think it got its name because it was served at Italian weddings, ‘cuz I’m literal like that. Actually, the term “wedding soup” comes from the Italian language phrase “minestra maritata” (“married soup”), which is a reference to the flavor combination (“marriage of flavor”) from the combination of greens with the meat. The good news, you don’t have to wait for a wedding to enjoy this delicious Italian Wedding Soup!
It’s All About The Meatballs
The best part of Italian Wedding Soup is these delightfully tasty little balls. They cook right in the broth. Here’s how you make ’em.
Into a medium sized bowl, add 1/2 a medium sized onion, grated, using a cheese grater or rasp. Add 3 finely minced garlic cloves, about 1 tablespoon, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese with 1/3 cup of bread crumbs. Add 1 egg as a binder and 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper, about 1/4 teaspoon. Next, add 1/4 cup freshly chopped flat leaf Italian parsley and mix well to combine.
Add 1 lb of ground meat. I like to make this with ground chicken and ground pork combined. Mix the meat into the ingredients, carefully to not over mix. Shape into 1 inch meatballs and set on parchment lined baking sheet. Set aside while you make the soup. This makes about 30 1 inch balls.
The Soup
Into a large Dutch Oven or similar heavy bottomed pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to heat on medium high. Add the other 1/2 of the onion, chopped. Next, add 1 cup chopped carrots and 1 cup chopped celery. Let the vegetables cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and just before they start to take on any color.
Add 1 cup of dry white wine and 12 cups of chicken stock. Let the mixture come to a simmer.
Add the meatballs and 1 lb of either fresh chopped or baby spinach (or escarole, kale, etc). Add 1 1/2 cups of pasta. Use the little beads of pasta called Acini De Pepe.
Let the soup cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
To Serve
Ladle the Italian Wedding Soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Yell “Soups-On” and watch them come running!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1/2 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 lb ground pork (or sausage, casings removed)
- 1/2 medium onion, grated
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves (about 3 cloves)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Soup
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots (about 1/4 inch dice)
- 1 cup chopped celery, including leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 lb escarole or baby spinach, roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- Freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Into a medium sized bowl, add 1/2 a medium onion, grated, 3 finely minced garlic cloves, about 1 tablespoon, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese with 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs. Add 1 egg as a binder and 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper, about 1/4 teaspoon. Next, add 1/4 cup freshly chopped flat leaf Italian parsley and mix well to combine. Add 1 lb of ground chicken and pork, combined. Mix the meat into the ingredients, carefully to not over mix. Shape into 1 inch meatballs and set on parchment lined baking sheet. Set aside while you make the soup.
For The Soup
- Into a large Dutch Oven or similar heavy bottomed pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to heat on medium high. Add the other half of the onion, chopped. 1 cup chopped carrots and 1 cup chopped celery. Let the vegetables cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and just before they start to take on any color. Add 1 cup of dry white wine and 12 cups of chicken stock. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Add the meatballs and 1 lb of either fresh escarole or baby spinach. Add 1 1/2 cups of pasta. Use the little beads of pasta called Acini De Pepe. Let the soup cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
- To Serve
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
