Italian wedding soup is a classic comfort food that combines savory meatballs, vegetables, and tiny round pasta in a flavorful chicken broth. This entire soup comes together in about 35 minutes time thanks to the help of pre-made meatballs.
Italian wedding soup is one of my all time favorite soups. This soup made with meatballs, vegetables, and tiny pearled pasta that is all cooked in a chicken broth.
I take the time once a month to make a batch of my beef and pork meatballs. I’ll use half the recipe to put in my soup and freeze the other half so I can whip up this soup in the time instructed below. Everyone in my home devours this soup. It typically is completely gone within two days of making it (sometimes on the first day).
I’ve been making this soup for almost 2 decades now. In this blog post you are going to learn how to make Italian Wedding soup in under an hour thanks to my helpful tips and tricks.
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Why this recipe works
Pre-made or frozen meatballs makes this wedding soup come together quickly.
Store bought shredded carrots save time not only in the prep department but also during the cooking process.
Wedding soup makes for a delicious lunch, hearty dinner, or even an appetizer before your big meal.
Wedding Soup Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make the best Italian wedding soup recipe.
- Meatballs – You can make homemade meatballs or use store bought.
- Broth – Although the recipe calls for a beef/pork meatball I prefer to use chicken broth as the base. This is the traditional way of making Italian Wedding Soup.
- Vegetables – Shredded carrot, celery, onion, spinach, and garlic.
- Pasta – I like to use traditional Acini di pepe, they are tiny little round pieces of pasta.
- Seasoning – I use a mix of Italian seasoning and black pepper for this soup recipe.
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup
First, in a large stock pot, on medium heat melt the butter and extra virgin olive oil. Add in the chopped carrot and onion and sauté for 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Then add in one cup chicken broth, garlic and Italian Seasoning. Cook with the lid on for 10 minutes, stirring often
Increase the heat to high, add in the remaining chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Once at a boil add the acini de pepe pasta and meatballs. Lower to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes until pasta is almost cooked.
Once the pasta is almost done cooking add in the chopped spinach and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the soup from the heat and ladle into bowls. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy.
FAQs
Yes, you can use ground turkey instead of ground beef/pork for the meatballs. Just know the taste might vary using a leaner type of meat.
Yes, you can freeze Italian wedding soup. Just make sure to let the soup cool completely before placing it in an airtight container. Also, know that the pasta will absorb all of the broth when it freezes. I suggest if you know you are going to freeze this soup to cook the pasta separately so that you just freeze the broth, vegetables, and meatballs.
If you don’t happen to have Acini di pepe you can use any type of small pasta such as orzo, small shells, or even ditalini.
Italian wedding soup will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. If you have leftovers by day 4 and don’t feel in the mood to eat it you can always freeze it for a later date.
The name “wedding soup” is believed to have originated from the Italian phrase “minestra maritata,” which means “married soup.” The name is thought to have been given because the ingredients in the soup “marry” together so well.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Italian wedding soup is a classic dish that is perfect for any occasion. This delicious soup is packed with flavor, nutrition, and is easy to prepare. Here are some tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions to help you make the best Italian wedding soup.
- Pasta – If you don’t happen to have Acini di pepe (the small pearled pasta) on hand you can use pearled couscous, orzo pasta, or even ditalini.
- Meat – Use high-quality meat for the meatballs. The better the quality, the better the taste.
- Meatballs – To save time, you can use frozen meatballs instead of making your own.
- Broth – If you don’t have chicken broth on hand, you can use vegetable broth instead.
What to serve with Soup
Here are a few side dishes and main dishes I like to make alongside Italian wedding soup.
If you make this Italian Wedding Soup recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a ⭐ star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Italian Wedding Soup
Equipment
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oi
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 celery rib diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 64 ounces Chicken Broth
- 24 mini meatballs
- 1 cup acini de pepe (pasta)
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, on medium heat melt the butter and extra virgin olive oil. Add in the chopped carrot and onion and sauté for 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Then add in one cup chicken broth, garlic and Italian Seasoning. Cook with the lid on for 10 minutes, stirring often
- Increase the heat to high, add in the remaining chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Once at a boil add the acini de pepe pasta and meatballs. Lower to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes until pasta is almost cooked.
- Add in the chopped spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the soup from the heat and ladle into bowls. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy.
Notes
- Pasta – If you don’t happen to have Acini di pepe (the small pearled pasta) on hand you can use pearled couscous, orzo pasta, or even ditalini.
- Meat – Use high-quality meat for the meatballs. The better the quality, the better the taste.
- Meatballs – To save time, you can use frozen meatballs instead of making your own.
- Broth – If you don’t have chicken broth on hand, you can use vegetable broth instead.
Paige
Could you make this in a crockpot?
Katie
Yes, you could totally make this in the crockpot. I would just leave the noodle portion out and cook it on the stove top.
Doris Gordon
recipes are fine. But the yellow portion on top of the recipe does not print clearly, such as cook time, servings etc. You have to fill those items in with pen on the recipe so it is clear. I suggest do not print in yellow.
Thank You.
Katie
Hi Doris, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! I’ve never printed out my recipe, so I would have never known that. I just sent on your comment to my designer so that we can get this fixed for future readers to print!
April
that sounds fantastic!
Katie
I just made another big pot yesterday and sadly it’s already almost gone… 🙁