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Italian Wedding Soup

A delicious and classic recipe, this Italian Wedding Soup is hearty and comforting. It is made with a flavorful broth filled with vegetables, meatballs and pasta!

A TASTY CLASSIC SOUP RECIPE

One thing I love about Fall is that it means I can make all the soups! One of my favorites has always been this Italian Wedding Soup. It manages to be a super filling soup without leaving you feeling heavy afterwards. All the flavors, from the spices, to the pasta, vegetables and meatballs work so well together. Don’t let the all ingredients fool you, it is actually much simpler to make than you would think at first glance. This Italian Wedding Soup can easily be made in under an hour and it will taste like it’s been simmering away all day!

Ladle holding up some of the Italian Wedding soup from dutch oven.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Do I have to use fresh herbs?

No, you can certainly use dried. I like the fresh because it really adds a depth of flavor. To use dried herbs for this recipe, substitute 1 teaspoon dried for every 1 tablespoon fresh.

Can I use another meat for the meatballs?

You can use ground turkey or a mixture of ground beef and pork.

Can this be made ahead of time?

Partially. You can make the meatballs ahead of time; bake them, and then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you are ready to make the soup, just add the meatballs when the directions say so. 

What other pasta can I use?

Sometimes Acini de Pepe can be hard to find so you can substitute it with orzo or any other small pasta.

Do I have to use spinach?

Traditionally this recipe uses spinach but kale would be a good substitute as well or you can leave it out altogether.

How do I store leftovers?

This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 3 days. I don’t suggest freezing. If you do, I would freeze before adding the pasta and the spinach and add them to the soup once you are reheating. You can reheat this in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Close up of Italian Wedding Soup in white bowl with spoon, Pinterest image.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • ground chicken 
  • egg 
  • fresh parsley 
  • fresh oregano
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • garlic
  • Italian breadcrumbs  
  • chicken broth 
  • celery stalks
  • carrots 
  • sweet onion
  • red pepper flakes 
  • acini de pepe pasta 
  • spinach 
Ingredients needed: ground chicken, egg, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, kosher salt, pepper, garlic, Italian breadcrumbs, chicken broth, celery stalks, carrots, sweet onion, salt, red pepper flakes, Acini de Pepe pasta and spinach.

HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP:

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray it with nonstick cooking spray (or use nonstick foil.) To make meatballs, place ground chicken, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, one egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and 3 garlic cloves in a bowl and mix to combine.

Ground chicken, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic mixed together in bowl.

Form into ½ inch balls and place on a baking sheet. I think this is easiest by using a cookie scoop.

Meat mixture shaped into meatballs and placed on a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake for 14-15 minutes until they are golden brown. Don’t worry if they aren’t fully cooked, they will finish cooking in the soup.

Finished baked meatballs out of oven on foil lined baking sheet.

While the meatballs are baking, place a large pot over medium heat. Add in olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper.

Olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and garlic added to dutch oven.

Stir and cook for 7-8 minutes until softened. Then add in oregano and red pepper flakes, cook for another minute.

Sautéed vegetables with salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes added.

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling add in pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Then add in the meatballs and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Place the heat on low and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Chicken broth and pasta added to dutch oven.

Once done add in spinach and let it slightly wilt then serve!

Overhead of finished Italian Wedding Soup in dutch oven.

Enjoy!

Overhead of a white bowl filled with Italian Wedding Soup.

WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? YOU MUST TRY THESE!

Square close up of Italian Wedding Soup in bowl with gold spoon.

Italian Wedding Soup

A delicious and classic recipe, this Italian Wedding Soup is hearty and comforting. It is made with a flavorful broth filled with vegetables, meatballs and pasta!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Italian Wedding Soup, Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 300kcal

Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
  • ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs

Soup:

  • 9-10 cups chicken broth
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ cups Acini de Pepe pasta
  • 3-4 ounces fresh spinach

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray it with nonstick cooking spray (or use nonstick foil.)
  • To make meatballs, place ground chicken, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, one egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and 3 garlic cloves in a bowl and mix to combine.
  • Form into ½ inch balls and place on a baking sheet. I think this is easiest by using a cookie scoop.
  • Bake for 14-15 minutes until they are golden brown. Don't worry if they aren't fully cooked, they will finish cooking in the soup.
  • While the meatballs are baking, place a large pot over medium heat. Add in olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper.
  • Stir and cook for 7-8 minutes until softened. Then add in oregano and red pepper flakes, cook for another minute.
  • Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling add in pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Then add in the meatballs and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Place the heat on low and simmer for 10 minutes. 
  • Once done, add in spinach, allow it to wilt slightly then serve!

Notes

  • You can use other meats for the meatballs, see above for some suggestions.
  • Other pasta can be used like orzo or a smaller pasta of your choice.
  • Kale can be swapped out for the spinach.
  • This can be frozen, but freeze before adding the pasta or spinach.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 2124mg | Potassium: 778mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6729IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Excellent, as usual! I ended up using orzo because I had it on hand, and it worked out perfectly. I also browned my meatballs a bit longer and ended up just doing a 10 minute simmer at the end to warm them up rather than risk overcooking them. The only other tweak I added was a teaspoon of Better than Bouillon (I was a little short on broth and had to add a cup of water to compensate) and I tossed in the leftover tablespoon or so of fresh parsley I had from the meatballs. I topped it with a little more fresh parsley and a pinch of shredded parm. Served with warm Italian bread, and my husband almost licked the bowl.

    As always, you served up a hit! Thanks so much!