Soup mood. Making a huge pot, enjoying it for lunch or dinner, and storing the rest for a later day.
Not only is comfort soul food, but you can make it light or hearty with lots of flavors and texture.
One soup that I have always wanted to make is the Italian Wedding Soup recipe.
Intrigued by it, and since I had made lots of little meatballs the last time I made Individual Meatloaf, the time has come to try it in my kitchen.
Searching for a recipe began, and I dashed to all my Italian cooking books. Searching through “The Italian Academy of Cuisine” I realized there are as many versions as there are regions in the North and South of Italy.
I include, with this recipe, my recipe for meatballs. If time is pressing, store-bought meatballs from your local Italian supermarket will work fine.
In this Article
- Why do they call it wedding soup?
- What are wedding soup meatballs made of?
- What pasta to use for Italian wedding soup?
- Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed
- Equipment you will need
- Cooking tips and step by step to make this fabulous wedding soup recipe
- Homemade or store-bought meatballs?
- Can you make this Italian wedding soup ahead of time?
- Substitution and suggestions
- Storage instructions and how to reheat this wedding soup recipe
- If you enjoy this delicious Italian wedding soup, look at some of my other recipes!
- Italian Wedding Soup
Why do they call it wedding soup?
This Italian wedding soup history goes back to the last century when immigrants left Italy to come to the States.
As I have come to learn, this soup it has nothing to do with “weddings.” Mistranslated when the immigrants brought it to the United States.
Originally this ancient Napolitan soup was called ” minestra maritata”, which translated to “married soup,” not wedding soup.
It refers to the combination or marriage of inexpensive meats and leafy greens, which make up the soup’s main ingredient.
The only thing close to a wedding is that the vegetables and meats are married perfectly.
Working with what is available in my pantry, I am sharing this recipe for Italian wedding soup with you.
What are wedding soup meatballs made of?
Traditionally the meatballs are made of pork, veal, and beef. Modern cooks opted more for beef and ground chicken in place of veal.
The critical thing to remember is to make tightly packed meatballs that will hold together.
I use an ice cream scooper to make them all the same size.
What pasta to use for Italian wedding soup?
My preference, as well as liking best, with acini di pepe.
Acini di pepe are small round pasta found in most grocery stores.
Orzo is an excellent substitute for conchiglie, tiny shells, and farfalline, a little farfalle pasta for soups.
Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed
Simple ingredients make the best soup. I have included the meatballs recipe if you have time to make them. Below are a few of my suggestions.
If you already have them in the freezer from my previous recipe, skip to the Soup part.
Meatballs:
Ground meats: A mixture of ground beef and ground pork sausage is used in this recipe. You can substitute the meat with ground turkey or ground chicken. If time is not on your side, store-bought meatballs are a great alternative.
Breadcrumbs: Stale or old bread never goes to waste, as I use my food processor to make breadcrumbs. Store-bought breadcrumbs: Buy the one that will not contain any herbs or seasoning. I found that they deter from the flavor of a dish.
Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated is my preference. It also adds natural saltiness to this dish.
Egg: yes, a must! It is the binding agent between the meat and all the ingredients.
Parsley: Finely chop as you do not want to bite into a chunk. My favorite with most Italian cooking. Flat leave gives the best savory fragrance to all my food.
Soup:
Shallots: I use them interchangeably as I love the mild flavor it gives your cooking.
Fresh basil: not negotiable as the intense flavor is another layer of savory to this soup.
Carrot: clean, peel, and thinly slice. You can dice them as well. I find that by slicing thinly, they cook faster. A mandoline is perfect here for slicing them thin and even.
Spinach: Fresh, wash, and stem removed.
Broth: I always purchase sodium-free broth. Easier to season my food and less sodium in my body. Rest assured, the flavor is never compromised.
Pasta: Acini di pepe is the original pasta for this dish. Any small-shaped pasta can be used as a substitute.
Parmesan cheese: Lots and lots of it.
Equipment you will need
Cooking tips and step by step to make this fabulous wedding soup recipe
A few key ingredients make this excellent Italian wedding soup stand out from the pack of soups.
- Please start with the meatballs: Make them small, 1/2 to 1 inch, and not larger. This is soup; therefore, you should be able to eat them with your spoon and not have to split them with a fork and knife because they are too bit. Enjoy the large meatballs with a bowl of pasta.
- Searing the meatballs with the vegetables is a huge game-changer for me. Your added flavor to your soup is out of this world. All the flavors are uplifted while searing them. Once you add the broth, they all come together magically.
- Do use fresh basil and spinach. They add great flavor.
Homemade or store-bought meatballs?
Time permitting, always make your meatballs at home. I make different sizes for different dishes. Larger size meatballs for pasta. Small for soup.
- Meatballs freeze well. Therefore, I will advise you to freeze the amount needed for each meal. Wrap them on parchment paper or shrink-wrap them; they will be ready to be enjoyed in minutes.
- Bring the broth, meatballs, and vegetables to a boil. Add the pasta. Once the pasta is tender, add the spinach and stir until well combined.
- Parmesan cheese: Lots and lots of it. It compliments this soup nicely.
I like to rectify the season just before serving. The basil and parmesan cheese being intense flavors, will add enough saltiness and a dash of pepper flavor to this wedding soup recipe.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Can you make this Italian wedding soup ahead of time?
Yes, you can.
Sear your meatballs and vegetables. Add the broth and cook until simmering. You can stop here and refrigerate or freeze.
Bring back to room temperature before returning to a simmer, and add your pasta to i.
Substitution and suggestions
Although, I am completely mesmerized by all the variations of legumes and different meats used. Here are some of the most popular substitutions:
- From fennel and cabbage to broccoli rabe.
- From pork and eggs to chicken giblets.
- Bread, rice soup, pasta.
- Spinach can be substituted with kale. The kale must be added along with the pasta, which will need a longer cooking time. The spinach is idyllic as it takes seconds to cook.
However, all have the same common ingredient: Lots of grated Parmesan Cheese.
If you desire brothier soup, you can reduce e the amount of pasta to 3/4 cup.
Remember that the pasta will absorb more broth as the soup sits. Add more broth to thin the soup to your desired consistency.
Storage instructions and how to reheat this wedding soup recipe
Make and sear the meatballs ahead of time. You can even make the entire recipe up to adding the pasta. Remember, the past will expand and absorb most of your broth as it continues cooking.
It will be best to add the pasta just before serving.
Store: Seal in an airtight glass container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
Freeze: Place in a freezer-safe glass container for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Return to room temperature and reheat it on the stove if this is a leftover with the pasta, mind adding more broth to thin it out.
If you enjoy this delicious Italian wedding soup, look at some of my other recipes!
Equipment and ingredients used to make this recipe.
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
WEDDING SOUP INSTRUCTIONS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
- 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced
- 24 meatballs, or 24 ½ -inch in diameter prepared meatballs
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup acini di pepe pasta
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- parmesan cheese, Freshly grated to taste
MEATBALLS INSTRUCTIONS ( only if you want to make them at home)
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- ½ pound ground pork sausage
- 2 shallots, peeled and diced small
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper
- 1 slice slice of bread, white bread, torn into small bite size
- 2 tablespoons Italian fresh parsley, finely chopped.
- Worcestershire sauce, a few dashes
Instructions
WEDDING SOUP INSTRUCTIONS
- In a soup pot, combine olive oil, basil, and shallots over medium-high heat. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add carrots, meatballs, and chicken broth.
- When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the pasta. Cook for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Add chopped fresh spinach cover and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parmesan.
MEATBALLS INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook onion in olive oil until translucent. When they are ready, let them rest until cool off.
- Meanwhile, put the slices of bread with the milk. Mix well until the bread absorbs all the milk.
- Add the parsley, blend them well and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Add all the other ingredients to the bread-milk mixture and mix well.
- With an ice cream scooper big enough to make ½ inch meatball, scoop up the meat, and roll it in between the palm of your hand to form a small ball.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
Did you make this?
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Originally published on March 31, 2020. Updated on November 6, 2022
Gloria
I love this soup. So comforting. Glad I can easily make it at home instead of buying it in a can.
Giangi Townsend
I love that I can make this on a week night.
Enjoy!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
I found it interesting to learn that this soup has nothing to do with weddings!! Great recipe – total delicious comfort in a bowl.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you.
Jill
Love this recipe, I’ve never made Italian wedding soup and this was the perfect recipe to follow! So delicious!!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you and glad you enjoyed it.
Keri Bevan
I’ve been on the look-out for great soup recipes, and this is a recipe that I’ve been interested in trying for quite a while. I really liked it, and it wasn’t as hard as I expected it to be. Thank you!
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine, Keri. Thank you for your feedback.
tiannaskitchen
I have never tried making this soup but you make it look so simple.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, it is so simple to make.
Enjoy!
Rob
I love a good soup! My MIL loved this soup too! I’m saving this one!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you for your feedback, Rob. I am so happy everyone enjoyed it.
Julie
Basil and carrot what a gorgeous combo!! Sounds so delicious!
Bernice
I love hearing the background of how recipes came to be or how they were named. I’ve often wondered specifically about Italian Wedding soup. When I asked an engaged Italian friend if we were going to have this soup at his wedding he thought I was crazy lol. Anyway, this is exactly how I like my IWS and I’m pinning it to make on the weekend.
Andrea
this soup turned out so delicious! perfect for a delicious and cozy weeknight dinner! so so good!
Heidi Bruaw
This soup was perfect for a cold winter day! I also enjoyed learning about where the name came from. Thanks for sharing!
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine. I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Shelby
This soup is so comforting and such a great way to feel a large family!
Giangi Townsend
The best! Enjoy!
Judith
I had never heard of this soup but it looks very filling and quick to make. I love the addition of pasta to soups.
Katie Jacques
Such a lovely soup recipe! It has so much flavor and is so filling!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you.