Description
This classic Italian Wedding Soup features tender meatballs simmered in a flavorful broth with vegetables, pasta, and fresh spinach, finished with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for an authentic, comforting experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 8 oz. lean ground beef
- 8 oz. ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs (from fresh bread, not dried)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano (or 3/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Soup
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups chopped carrots
- 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
- 5 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dry acini di pepe or orzo pasta
- 6 oz fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Finely shredded Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef and ground pork. Add fresh bread crumbs, chopped parsley, minced oregano, shredded Parmesan, egg, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Gently toss and break up the mixture with your hands to ensure ingredients are well distributed.
- Shape Meatballs: Form the mixture into small meatballs approximately 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter. Place meatballs on a large plate and set aside.
- Brown Meatballs: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on 2 to 3 sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining meatballs. Note that meatballs will not be fully cooked at this stage.
- Sauté Vegetables: While browning the meatballs, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped carrots, onions, and celery, and sauté until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth, season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cook Pasta and Meatballs: Add the dry pasta and browned meatballs to the boiling soup. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Finish Soup: Stir in the roughly chopped fresh spinach during the last minute of cooking until wilted.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with finely shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use a hearty rustic bread for the bread crumbs, grinding a slice in a food processor for fine crumbs. Save leftover bread for serving or freeze for later.
- For a brothier soup, reduce the pasta to 3/4 cup. Pasta will absorb broth over time, so add more broth to thin as desired.
- Simmering a Parmesan rind with the soup adds extra depth of flavor.
- Recipe makes about 12 cups of soup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
