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    Home » All Recipes » Soups » Italian Wedding Soup

    Italian Wedding Soup

    Published on Mar 16, 2020 by Jim · Updated on Mar 31, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 8 Comments

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    Italian Wedding Soup.  One of my most favorite and complete meals that nourishes your body and your soul.  This flavorful soup combines acini di pepe pasta, fresh spinach and escarole, carrots, and delightful little meatballs to form a robust meal that is perfect for any night of the week.  

    Bowl of Italian wedding soup with a turkey meatball on spoon.

    Growing up, Italian Wedding Soup was a meal we'd have frequently.  And it never, ever disappointed. 

    In fact, to this day, every time I make it I find myself wondering, "why don't I make this more often"? 

    This is definitely a family-friendly meal.  My wife loves that it has a nice balance of protein from the meatballs and a healthy dose of green leafy veggies. 

    The kids love the fun shapes that make up this dish and how the little acini di pepe mimics the slightly larger, but still bite-sized, mini meatballs. 

     

    I love it because I know I'm nourishing my family with a recipe that has been passed down through matrilineal history and each time I make it, I pay tribute to each of those special women.

    Although this dish is simple, making the little meatballs can take more time, so what I usually do is make a ton of meatballs and then freeze them. 

    Knowing I have them on hand really helps when we're short on time during the week but still want a nutritious home-cooked meal.   

    In addition to the turkey meatballs, you will also need spinach, escarole, carrots, celery, and onion.  And of course, the acini di pepe, which is a small pearl-shaped pasta.

    Escarole, spinach, carrots, onion, and celery on cutting board.

    How to make it

    1. Begin by dicing 1 medium onion, 2 carrots, and 2 celery ribs.  About ¾ to 1 cup of each.  In a large soup pot saute the veggies in a ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-low heat for a few minutes.
    2. Chop the escarole into ribbons, thoroughly clean ( a salad spinner works well for this), and add to the pot.  Cook for 5 minutes.

    Italian wedding soup recipe process shot collage.

    1. To the pot, add 10 cups of low sodium chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Once boiling add in a half-pound of acini di pepe pasta and cook until almost done.  
    2. Add in the meatballs.  We recommend using this Italian turkey meatball recipe of ours.  They have a ton of flavor, are juicy, and go perfectly with this soup.  But, use any type of small meatball you like.  Finally, add in the spinach and taste test the soup.  Add a ½ teaspoon or more of black pepper and salt to taste.  If more liquid is needed just add a cup or two more of stock or water.  

    Top the soup with a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese. 

    We love to serve Italian wedding soup with a delicious green salad and this easy no knead focaccia.  

    Substitutions and additions

    • veggies - If you can't find escarole, use more spinach or add in some other veggies like zucchini, kale, or swiss chard.  The choice is yours!
    • pasta -  If acini di pepe proves difficult to find use another type of small pasta.  Ditalini, orzo, and pastina are all great substitutes.
    • turkey meatballs - A tender and juicy pork and beef meatball recipe would be perfect as well.  Follow the recipe but again, just remember to make them small.
    • egg - Stir an egg into the soup right before serving.  Drizzle it slowly and stir with a large fork to create strands of egg.  

    Top tips

    • Small meatballs are excellent in Italian wedding soup.  The diameter of a quarter is a great size to shoot for.
    • Add as much liquid as required and to your personal preference of how thin the soup should be.  10 cups of low sodium chicken stock are the starting point, but if more is needed, go for it. 
    • Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.  To reheat, simply microwave or reheat on the stovetop.

    Two bowls of soup and one bowl of grated cheese on blue board.

    Try these other delicious soup and stew recipes!

    • Chicken noodle soup with tiny meatballs - Similar recipe but with chicken thigh meat, farfalline pasta, and beef and pork meatballs.
    • Italian lentil soup - Classic recipe with lentils, veggies, a parmesan rind, and a bunch of spinach to brighten it up.
    • Ribollita stew - Tuscan bread soup with greens and veggies.
    • Ciambotta - The stew to make with summer garden veggies.
    • Italian beef stew - Red wine braised chunks of chuck roast with veggies and mushrooms.
    • Spicy sausage potato and kale soup - Comforting soup with kale, beans, potatoes, and sausage.

    If you’ve enjoyed this Italian wedding soup recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and leave a review.

    Some people learn by watching.  If you're that type of person, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.

    Italian wedding soup featured image.

    Italian Wedding Soup

    5 from 4 votes
    Prep Time: 20 mins
    Cook Time: 35 mins
    Total Time: 55 mins
    Servings: 8
    Print Pin Rate
    Author: James

    Ingredients

    For the soup

    • 8 ounces acini di pepe pasta
    • 1 medium onion diced
    • 2 medium carrots diced
    • 2 large celery ribs diced
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • kosher salt to taste
    • 10 cups low sodium chicken stock
    • 1 bunch escarole washed and chopped
    • 1 bunch spinach
    • ½ cup Pecorino Romano grated
    • ¼ cup olive oil

    for the meatballs

    • 2 pounds ground turkey
    • 1 cup breadcrumbs
    • 1 medium onion grated
    • ½ cup parmesan grated
    • ½ cup basil chopped
    • ½ cup parsley chopped
    • 2 large eggs
    • ¼ cup milk
    • ⅛ cup olive oil
    • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    For the turkey meatballs (If using storebought or premade meatballs move on to the soup instructions.)

    • Preheat oven to 375f and set rack to middle of oven.
    • Combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, grated onion, basil, parsley, parmesan, milk, olive oil, salt, pepper, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
    • Gently mix all the ingredients and form small meatballs (about the size of a quarter). Wet hands with oil or water between rolling to avoid meat sticking to hands.
    • Bake the meatballs on a parchment paper lined or wire rack baking tray until cooked to an internal temperature of 165f. The small meatballs should take approximately 15-20 minutes to cook. Makes roughly 40-60 meatballs

    For the soup

    • In a large pot saute carrots, onion, and celery in a ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Next, add in the cleaned and chopped escarole and cook for 3-5 minutes more.
    • Add 10 cups of low sodium chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling add in the acini di pepe pasta and cook until almost finished.
    • Add in the meatballs and heat through until warm. Finally, add in the spinach leaves and taste test the soup. Add a ½ teaspoon or more of pepper and kosher salt to taste. Serve with grated cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • The full Italian turkey meatballs recipe can be found here.  The original recipe was for full sized meatballs.  The only modification made in this recipe was to make them smaller and reduce the cooking time.  Alternatively use store-bought meatballs.
    • Small meatballs are excellent in this soup.  The diameter of a quarter is a great size to shoot for.
    • If required add more liquid and to personal preference.  Extra chicken stock or water can be used. 
    • Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.  To reheat, simply microwave or reheat on stove-top.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.1g | Protein: 48.2g | Fat: 26.1g | Saturated Fat: 4.1g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 1023mg | Potassium: 727mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 2.9g | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 6mg
    Did you make this recipe? Mention @sipandfeast or tag #sipandfeast
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tatyana McCormick

      February 14, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      5 stars
      This tasted excellent. Enjoyed this recipe and very easy. Even made the Turkey meatballs per your recipe and I made them slightly big but they were truly delicious. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jim

        February 15, 2021 at 7:32 pm

        Really glad you enjoyed the recipe. It's fine to make the meatballs bigger as they can easily be broken up. Thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    2. Laurie

      January 02, 2022 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      Your soup was a big hit! Meatballs were very tasty! I did add more stock, later, and some Parmesan rinds during the cooking of the stock. I send that Sicilian gesture of the mouth kissing all the fingers, mwah! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jim

        January 06, 2022 at 11:07 pm

        Hi Laurie. Really glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    3. EMILY

      January 09, 2022 at 4:43 pm

      5 stars
      THE MEATBALLS ARE FABULOUS AND SO EASY TO MAKE. I USE A SMALL OR 1OZ SCOOP TO FORM THEM AND THEY CAME OUT PERFECT. IT MADE 80 BALLS. I THINK I WILL USE A BIGGER PASTA NEXT TIME. WHEN THE SOUP WAS DONE AND JUST I ADDED 2 LARGE TLB OF BETTER THAN BOULIAN TO ADD SOME MORE FLAVOR. YUMMY

      Reply
      • Jim

        January 10, 2022 at 9:39 pm

        Hi Emily. Glad the recipe was a hit.

        Reply
    4. Phyllis Redler

      April 30, 2022 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      I've tried so many of your delicious recipes. Thank you for sharing your videos.

      Reply
      • Jim

        May 01, 2022 at 11:51 am

        Hi, Phyllis, thank you so much and I'm happy you're enjoying the recipes and videos!

        Reply

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    Welcome! I'm Jim and I'm here to help you make awesome Italian food that you would normally enjoy at some of your favorite New York style Italian restaurants. While my recipes are typically Italian, you'll find some other great ones as well. Take a look around, and get cooking!

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