Italian Wedding Soup
A traditional Italian soup served with leafy greens and meatballs. Italian Wedding soup is an Italian-American soup that "marries" meat and vegetables!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 343kcal
Cost: $20
Equipment
- 1 large pot
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
Soup
- 2 carrots, sliced into circles
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 qts chicken broth
- 1 bag baby spinach or escarole
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, to fry meatballs
- 1 cup orzo or acini de pepe
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the meatballs and roll into small meatballs about the size of a quarter. In the pot, add the olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. sear the meatballs for about 30-45 seconds on each side. They will sear quickly because they're so small. Set them aside.
- Remove the oil from the pot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the carrots and saute for 3 more minutes. Then stir in the garlic for a minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then immediately lower to a simmer. Add the meatballs and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, stir in the pasta. Simmer for 15 more minutes and then remove from the heat. Add the spinach and cover for 5 minutes. Then stir it in and serve hot!
Video
Notes
- Searing vs. not searing the meatballs. Look, I know they're not usually seared. But the flavor you get from quickly searing them first is unmatched. I've made this dish so many times both ways. It is light years better with seared meatballs.
- Sauteing the vegetables. Let the onion soften before adding the carrots. Don't saute the carrots for too long. You want them to hold their shape in the soup! Add them to the onions right as the onions are about ready.
- Don't overwork your meatballs. The less you mix them, the softer their texture will be.
Nutrition
Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1350mg | Potassium: 554mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6004IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 3mg
