This Italian Wedding Soup is a timeless favorite—hearty, savory, and incredibly satisfying. It features delicate homemade meatballs made with beef and pork, tender pasta, and wholesome vegetables, all simmered in a flavorful broth that ties everything together beautifully.
Craving something with tomatoes and meatballs? Be sure to check out my cozy Meatball Soup, another go-to dish the whole family will love.
Foolproof Italian Wedding Soup You’ll Make Again and Again
I used to shy away from making Italian Wedding Soup. With no Italian heritage and zero exposure to it in my childhood kitchen, it felt like a dish you could easily get wrong.
But after trying it a few times, I discovered how approachable and rewarding it is to prepare. This recipe breaks down every step so clearly, you’ll feel like it came straight from an old Italian cookbook—or maybe even a Nonna’s memory.
This comforting, rustic soup has earned rave reviews and become a favorite for good reason. Those tiny, herb-packed meatballs alone are worth the effort!
Key Tips for Exceptional Italian Wedding Soup
To get that signature Italian flavor and texture, follow these top tips:
- Brown the meatballs before adding them to the soup. Searing enhances their flavor far more than simmering alone.
- Keep the meatballs small for better texture and distribution in the soup.
- Go fresh with herbs and breadcrumbs. Avoid dried, packaged breadcrumbs—use a piece of rustic bread blitzed in a food processor for best results.
- Stick to the beef and pork combo for traditional depth of flavor.
- Use plenty of garlic—this is Italian comfort food, after all.
- Top it with freshly grated parmesan. Even if it’s not pictured, don’t skip it!
- Choose tiny pasta. Acini di pepe is ideal and gives the soup its authentic appeal.
Ingredients for Italian Wedding Soup
- Ground beef (80–90% lean)
- Ground pork (or substitute with more ground beef if needed)
- Fresh breadcrumbs (use a hearty stale bread)
- Fresh parsley
- Oregano (fresh or dried)
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Egg (to bind the meatballs)
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil (for sautéing and browning)
Step-by-Step: How to Make Italian Wedding Soup
Make the Meatballs:
Combine beef, pork, breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to gently mix and shape into tiny meatballs (about ¾ to 1 inch wide). Place them on a plate.
Brown the Meatballs:
In a non-stick skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown half the meatballs for about 4 minutes, turning to get color on at least 2 sides. Set aside on paper towels and repeat with the rest. (They’ll finish cooking in the soup.)
Sauté the Vegetables:
Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat olive oil and sauté chopped carrots, onions, and celery until tender (6–8 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook for another minute.
Build the Soup:
Pour in chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta and browned meatballs. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are fully cooked.
Finish and Serve:
Stir in spinach in the last minute of cooking. Ladle into bowls and finish with parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
- Breadcrumb Tip: Use rustic bread for a better crumb. A slice in the food processor works perfectly. Freeze any extra bread for later or serve it alongside the soup.
- Meatball Browning: Don’t overcrowd the pan. Browning in two batches ensures better color and flavor.
- Broth Control: If you prefer a more broth-forward soup, reduce pasta to ¾ cup. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so you can always thin it with more broth.
- Flavor Enhancers: Homemade chicken stock makes a world of difference. Toss in a parmesan rind or fresh basil for a deeper, richer flavor.
Best Pasta for Italian Wedding Soup
Acini di pepe is the go-to—it’s tiny, round, and perfect for soup. If it’s unavailable, feel free to substitute with orzo, ditalini, pastina (stars), or even elbow macaroni.
Greens You Can Use
Spinach is the preferred green here because of its delicate texture and quick cook time. But if you want variety, kale, endive, or escarole also work. Just add them earlier (when the pasta goes in) as they’ll need more time to soften.
Storing Italian Wedding Soup
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Keeps well for up to 3 months.
- Note: The pasta will soak up more broth during storage. Add extra broth when reheating if needed.
What to Serve With Italian Wedding Soup
- No-Knead Bread
- Garlic Bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Breadsticks
- Caprese Salad
- Mixed Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Italian Wedding Soup
This is hands-down the ultimate Italian Wedding Soup! It's packed with homemade golden-browned mini meatballs, tender vegetables, and tiny pasta. The flavor is incredibly comforting and tastes wonderfully traditional with a fresh twist.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 8 oz lean ground beef
- 8 oz ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (use soft bread, not dried)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups diced carrots
- 1 1/4 cups diced yellow onion
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 5 cans (14.5 oz each) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dried acini di pepe or orzo pasta
- 6 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Finely grated parmesan, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and pork. Add in the breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Use your hands to gently mix everything until evenly combined. Shape the mixture into small meatballs (about 3/4 to 1 inch each) and set them aside on a plate.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add half of the meatballs and brown them on two or three sides, turning as needed, for about 4 minutes.
- Transfer the browned meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate, keeping the oil in the skillet. Repeat the process with the remaining meatballs. (Note: They’ll finish cooking in the soup.)
- While you brown the meatballs, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the carrots, onion, and celery until they start to soften, around 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring the soup to a boil. Add the pasta and browned meatballs.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the spinach during the final minute of cooking.
- Serve hot and top each bowl with a sprinkle of grated parmesan.
Notes
- For best results, use a hearty rustic-style bread to make the breadcrumbs. Blend one slice in a food processor until fine. Save the extra bread to serve with the soup (toasted with butter is perfect!) or freeze it for later.
- If you prefer a brothier soup, reduce the pasta to 3/4 cup. Keep in mind that the pasta will soak up more liquid as it sits, so feel free to add extra broth when reheating.
- If you have a parmesan rind, simmer it in the soup to enhance the flavor.
- Yields approximately 12 cups.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 436Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 112mgSodium 1185mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 4gSugar 6gProtein 31g
dinnerbytes.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although dinnerbytes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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