Recipe Background
Surprisingly, Italian Wedding Soup isn't traditionally served at Italian weddings. Instead, the name refers to the marriage of the fresh, herby vegetables and the savory, juicy meatballs. We have to say, it's a match made in heaven. Italian Wedding Soup is a blissful blend of savory and garden tastes, happily hearty and festively flavored. Even if it isn't traditional, it would be a wonderful part of any wedding feast!
Surprisingly, Italian Wedding Soup isn't traditionally served at Italian weddings. Instead, the name refers to the marriage of the fresh, herby vegetables and the savory, juicy meatballs. We have to say, it's a match made in heaven. Italian Wedding Soup is a blissful blend of savory and garden tastes, happily hearty and festively flavored. Even if it isn't traditional, it would be a wonderful part of any wedding feast!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh hearty, white breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano minced
- 1/2 cup parmesan finely shredded
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups carrot diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 1/4 cups yellow onion diced
- 3/4 cup celery diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 5 (14.5-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup dry acini de pepe or orzo pasta
- 6 ounces fresh spinach chopped
- parmesan cheese optional, finely shredded, for serving
Directions
- Add the beef and pork into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
- Gently toss the mixture together with clean hands until everything is coated and evenly distributed.
- Shape the mixture into small meatballs, about 3/4-1-inch around, and place them on a plate.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet on the stove-top over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add 1/2 of the meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
- Repeat with the remaining 1/2 of the meatballs.
- While cooking the meatballs, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add in the carrots, onion, and celery and cook until the vegetables soften, for about 6-8 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the soup to a boil.
- Add the cooked meatballs and the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, for about 10 minutes.
- In the last minute of cooking, add the spinach and stir.
- Serve warm topped with parmesan.
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