Italian wedding soup is a super simple and hearty meal that comes together in under 45 minutes. It’s satisfying enough for a family dinner, but if you make a large batch, you can take it for lunch all week, like we do. Italian wedding soup traditionally consists of some type of greens, such as kale, escarole, spinach, etc, and meatballs in chicken broth. We opted to make our own meatballs (recipe is here), but you can use frozen or pre-made meatballs to keep this recipe super simple.
I love having a warm bowl of soup for a simple and lighter meal, but it is hard to convince Marcelo to eat a bowl of soup for dinner. This is one of the few soups he might make an exception for. The meatballs we make are traditional Italian style and use beef and pork. We usually make a big batch and then freeze them for a quick spaghetti and meatballs or to add to soups like this. If you are bored one Sunday, we highly recommend making a batch. Keeping your freezer well stocked is key to quick weeknight dinners! We simply lay them on parchment paper and stick them in the freezer until they are mostly frozen. Then, you just throw them into a gallon freezer bag and you’re done.
In our recipe, we added in some onion, celery, carrots, and garlic for an extra dose of vegetables. We opted for kale for our green, as it holds up well in the soup. We find that spinach gets extra wilted and a little mushy, especially after reheating several times. One of our favorite additions to the soup are parmesan rinds! We keep ours in a ziplock in the fridge specifically for soups like this. The rind contains so much flavor and it’s a shame to waste it. If you happen to have one, throw it in as soon as you add the stock so it has plenty of time to cook. Lastly, we add in stelline pasta, but you can do any type of smaller pasta shape, such as dilatini, orzo, or acini di pepe. We hope you enjoy this delicious Italian Wedding Soup. We’d love to hear about your variations. If you have any, share below in the comments!
Easy Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 Yellow Onion diced
- 1.5 Cups Celery diced; about 3 stalks
- 2 Cups Carrots diced; about 3-4 carrots
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 8 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 15-17 Italian Style Meatballs Frozen or uncooked
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Parmesan Rind Optional
- 1 Bunch Curly Kale chopped
- 1/2 Cup Stellini Pasta or other small pasta of choice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/2 Cup Grated parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and saute for about 5-7 minutes or until onions are translucent.
- Add chicken broth, bay leaf, and parmesan rind, and bring to simmer.
- Gently add in your meatballs. Cover and let cook for about 30 minutes.
- Next, add in the chopped kale and your pasta, and cook for another 7-10 minutes, depending on how long your pasta needs to cook.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.