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partial view of Italian wedding soup in white bowl
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4.99 from 83 votes

Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Italian Wedding Soup is the perfect chicken soup for any occasion, not just weddings! Add your favorite small pasta for added deliciousness  
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Calories: 367kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots diced
  • 4 stalks celery diced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • olive oil for sauteing veggies
  • 4 - 5 cups chicken stock
  • 1 head escarole chopped - or your favorite green
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Mini Meatballs

  • ½ lb lean ground beef
  • ½ lb ground pork
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon basil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons Romano or parmesan cheese grated
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Add celery, carrots and onions to a large pot with a little bit of olive oil over medium heat.
  • Let the veggies cook for 5-6 minutes.
  • Add the chicken broth to the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a light boil and let the pot simmer for 15- 20 minutes.
  • Add the meatballs to the soup and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. This will cook the meatballs.
    *Cooking the meatballs in the broth will enhance the flavor of the soup.
  • Add the chopped escarole to the soup (baby spinach or your favorite leafy green can be used instead of escarole. )Reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook the soup for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Mini Meatballs

  • Add the ground beef, ground pork, egg, bread crumbs, Romano or parmesan cheese, and seasonings to a large bowl. and mix just enough to incorporate all the ingredients. Be careful not to overmix.
  • Form marble size meatballs from the mix and when finished drop them gently into the hot broth.
  • Serve with a little grated romano cheese and enjoy!

Notes

Alternative meatball ingredients:
  • Meatballs can be made out of all beef or all pork.
  • Ground sausage can be used instead of ground pork.
  • You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey to make the mini meatballs.
Add Pasta to the soup
Italian Wedding Soup does not traditionally have pasta in the soup, but pasta is a great addition to this classic Italian soup. I like to add tortellini to my wedding soup; there are so many great options in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Acini de pepe, or one of the mini varieties of pasta, are also great choices.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 892mg | Potassium: 992mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5154IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 4mg