Italian Wedding Soup – Spend With Pennies

Italian wedding soup nourishes the belly and soul and is easy to make.

Made in just one pot, this Italian Wedding Soup recipe is filled with mini-meatballs, pasta, and veggies, in a delicous broth.

What You’ll Need to Make Italian Wedding Soup

• Meatballs: I love the flavor of meatballs made with ground beef and pork, but if you have only ground beef (or ground turkey), you can use all beef.
• Broth: Boxed broth makes this easy. Low-sodium varieties work well, too.
• Vegetables: Celery, carrots, and onions add a savory flavor to the broth.
• Greens: Spinach is added to Italian wedding soup for a bit of freshness—it can be replaced with kale or escarole.
• Pasta: Use a smaller pasta shape like acini de pepe or ditalini for this recipe.

Variations & Ingredient Swaps

• Replace white wine with additional chicken broth if you like.
• Stretch this meal a bit further and add flavor by adding extra vegetables and 2 cups of broth.
• Save time by using frozen meatballs, adding them in Step 5.
• No tiny pasta? Small dice a few potatoes, or use white rice or a can of cannellini beans instead. Anything goes!

How to Make Italian Wedding Soup

1. Make Meatballs: Mix meatball ingredients (recipe below) and shape into small meatballs. Brown them and transfer them to a plate.
2. Cook Vegetables: Soften the veggies and add the seasonings.
3. Simmer Pasta: Add the broth, pasta, and meatballs and simmer until the pasta is tender.
4. Serve: Stir in spinach before serving. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

We love to serve wedding soup with crusty artisan bread, crescent rolls, or dinner rolls.

Storage & Freezing

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pasta will absorb additional broth as the soup sits—add extra water or broth if needed.

Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to four months. Thaw in the refrigerator, or reheat straight from the freezer in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add some fresh spinach to the reheated soup.

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Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup is a hearty, comforting dish with homemade meatballs, pasta, and fresh spinach in a flavorful broth.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Add ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, egg, salt, oregano, and pepper to a large mixing bowl. Gently mix until fully combined. Shape into small meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter.

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add about half of the meatballs and cook for about 3 minutes per side, turning so they can brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

• Reduce heat to medium and add onions, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven, adding additional oil if needed. Cook for 6 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Season with pepper and dill.

• Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil.

• Add pasta and meatballs to the pot and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through.  During the last minute of cooking, add spinach and let it wilt. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

• Serve hot, sprinkled with shredded Parmesan cheese.

If preferred, you can prepare and bake the meatballs up to 48 hours ahead of time. Place the meatballs on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes or until they are cooked through. 
Spinach can be substituted for kale if desired. Kale will need longer to cook and should be added with the pasta.
If you don’t have acini de pepe pasta, try other tiny shapes such as ditalini, orzo, or even elbow macaroni.

Keep Italian wedding soup in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge, or reheat directly from the freezer using the microwave or stovetop. If you’d like to give the reheated soup a fresh look, toss in some fresh spinach.
*To make fresh breadcrumbs use a blender, food processor or Magic Bullet, to process a slice of bread or bun into crumbs.

Calories: 376 | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 2003mg | Potassium: 670mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6580IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

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