Giangi's Kitchen

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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 that 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.

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

Sharp knife

Cutting board

Mandoline

Soup pot

Stirring spoon

Ladle

Soup bowls

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!

Ricotta Meatballs With Simple Tomato Sauce

Tomato Soup

Creamy Watercress Soup

Spaghetti Meatballs – Everyone Favorite

Equipment and ingredients used to make this recipe.

Visit my Amazon Storefront for my selection of favorite kitchen essentials. I only recommend equipment that I use and love.

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Originally published on March 31, 2020. Updated on November 6, 2022