Italian Wedding Soup
Italian Wedding Soup is a cozy, flavorful dish featuring tender meatballs, hearty greens, and pasta in a rich, savory broth. It's a classic Italian comfort food that's simple to make yet full of depth and warmth. Perfect for chilly days or when you need a wholesome meal.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 slices white bread
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup Parmesan
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 carrots cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 stalks celery cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1 cup fennel bulb sliced
- 10 cups chicken stock homemade, or use low or no-sodium added chicken broth
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup acini di pepe pasta or any other very small pasta shape
- 4 ounces baby spinach washed
- parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Soak the bread in milk for a few minutes, then mash it into a paste.
- Mix the ground pork, mashed bread, garlic, Parmesan, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, and onion powder until well combined.
- Scoop out about a teaspoon of the mixture at a time and roll into small meatballs (½ to 1 inch in size). Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for around 20 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked and lightly browned. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook for about 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the fennel and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the white wine, letting it reduce for 2–3 minutes at a gentle simmer.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cook the pasta separately in about 2 cups of chicken broth until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside, adding any remaining broth back into the soup pot.
- Gently add the meatballs to the soup and let it simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes.
- Stir in the baby spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan if desired.
Notes
Chef Jenn's Tips
- Use high-quality chicken stock for a richer broth. Homemade is ideal, but a good store-bought option works just as well.
- Handle the meatball mixture gently to keep them tender—overworking the mixture can make them dense.
- If you don’t have white wine, you can skip that step.
- Cooking the pasta separately keeps it from soaking up too much broth, which prevents it from becoming mushy when storing leftovers.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free bread and pasta.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 24gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 883mgPotassium: 762mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 4017IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 115mgIron: 3mg
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
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