Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

square image of a portion of italian wedding soup in bow with grated parmesan sprinkled on top

Tender beef and pork meatballs, orzo, and spinach in a savory chicken broth. This is the soup that makes dinner feel like a whole meal.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 354kcal

Author Julie

Equipment

Ingredients

Meatballs

½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup yellow onion peeled and grated
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons parsley chopped
1 clove garlic minced
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ¼ cups carrots peeled and diced small
1 ¼ cups yellow onion peeled and diced small
¾ cup celery ends removed and diced small
4 cloves garlic minced
9 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup orzo pasta uncooked
6 ounces spinach chopped
Parmesan cheese grated, for garnish

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to mix together ½ pound ground beef, ½ pound ground pork, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, ¼ cup yellow onion, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper until evenly combined. Do not overmix.
Use a cookie scoop to portion the meat mixture into 1.5 tablespoon-sized scoops. Then, use your hands to roll the scoops into meatballs and place them on a plate.
Place a Dutch oven over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil once the pot is hot. Brown the meatballs on all sides in batches. You do not need to cook them all the way through. Once browned, place them back on the plate. This will take about 15 minutes. Don't wipe out the pot.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 ¼ cups carrots, 1 ¼ cups yellow onion, and ¾ cup celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in 4 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add 9 cups low-sodium chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.
Add the browned meatballs and 1 cup orzo pasta and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep anything from sticking to the bottom. The meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Stir in 6 ounces spinach until wilted. Portion into bowls and serve immediately with more Parmesan cheese on top.

Notes

For 9 cups of chicken broth, you’ll need five 14.5-oz cans or three of the 32-oz cartons. You’ll have about 3 cups left over if you use the cartons.
Any small pasta works. Ditalini, macaroni, and orecchiette are all good options.
Baby spinach works in place of regular spinach. Chopped kale works too, but add it with the meatballs and orzo, so it has time to soften.
Ground chicken or turkey works in place of beef or pork. Cook to an internal temp of 165°F instead of 160°F.
Cook the pasta separately if you don’t plan to finish the soup in one sitting. The orzo keeps absorbing liquid as it sits -- a splash of extra broth will loosen it back up when reheating.
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition