Italian Wedding Soup
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs, from fresh bread, not dried
- 4 garlic, cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- 1 egg, large
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups carrots, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups yellow onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup celery, chopped
- 4 garlic, cloves, minced
- 5 cans low-sodium chicken broth, (14.5 ounces each)
- 1 cup acini di pepe or orzo pasta, dry
- 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
- as needed Parmesan cheese, finely grated, for serving
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the lean ground beef, ground pork, fresh white bread crumbs, minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, minced fresh oregano, finely shredded Parmesan cheese, large egg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
⏱️ 5 min
- 2
Gently toss and break up the mixture with your hands to evenly coat and distribute all the ingredients. Shape the mixture into very small meatballs, approximately 3/4 inch to 1 inch in size, and transfer them to a large plate lined with parchment paper.
⏱️ 15 min
- 3
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs to the pan and cook until browned, turning occasionally to brown all sides, for about 4 minutes total. Remove the browned meatballs from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining meatballs if necessary.
⏱️ 8 min
- 4
While the meatballs are browning, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped carrots, chopped yellow onion, chopped celery, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they have softened, for about 8 minutes.
⏱️ 8 min
- 5
Pour in the 5 cans of low-sodium chicken broth. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, and add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min
- 7
Add the dry acini di pepe or orzo pasta and the cooked meatballs to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally, cook until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs have cooked through, for about 8 minutes.
⏱️ 8 min
- 8
During the last minute of cooking, add the fresh baby spinach to the pot and stir until the spinach has wilted.
⏱️ 1 min
- 9
Serve the soup warm, sprinkling each serving generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Italian Wedding Soup
For the Meatballs
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs, from fresh bread, not dried
- 4 garlic, cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- 1 egg, large
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups carrots, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups yellow onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup celery, chopped
- 4 garlic, cloves, minced
- 5 cans low-sodium chicken broth, (14.5 ounces each)
- 1 cup acini di pepe or orzo pasta, dry
- 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
- as needed Parmesan cheese, finely grated, for serving
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the lean ground beef, ground pork, fresh white bread crumbs, minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, minced fresh oregano, finely shredded Parmesan cheese, large egg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
⏱️ 5 min - 2
Gently toss and break up the mixture with your hands to evenly coat and distribute all the ingredients. Shape the mixture into very small meatballs, approximately 3/4 inch to 1 inch in size, and transfer them to a large plate lined with parchment paper.
⏱️ 15 min - 3
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs to the pan and cook until browned, turning occasionally to brown all sides, for about 4 minutes total. Remove the browned meatballs from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining meatballs if necessary.
⏱️ 8 min - 4
While the meatballs are browning, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped carrots, chopped yellow onion, chopped celery, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they have softened, for about 8 minutes.
⏱️ 8 min - 5
Pour in the 5 cans of low-sodium chicken broth. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, and add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min - 7
Add the dry acini di pepe or orzo pasta and the cooked meatballs to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally, cook until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs have cooked through, for about 8 minutes.
⏱️ 8 min - 8
During the last minute of cooking, add the fresh baby spinach to the pot and stir until the spinach has wilted.
⏱️ 1 min - 9
Serve the soup warm, sprinkling each serving generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
⏱️ 1 min