Italian Wedding Soup
The Tipsy Housewife Version, With A Twist
Italian Wedding Soup is SUCH a treat when it is made with love and some of my other special ingredients. Mini beef and pork meatballs, savory broth made with fresh veggies, and leafy spinach all simmered up with pasta or dumplings makes the perfect meal in a bowl.
While my version may be a little less traditional, I bet you’ll find it even more delicious. Don’t tell your Nonna I said that!
This soup is good for any time of year but the bright flavors of spinach and Parmesan make it a perfect transitional soup for spring.
Did You Say Dumplings?
I surely did say dumplings! It is traditional for Italian Wedding Soup to have tiny pasta like a ditalini, orzo, or acini de pepe in it. These smaller pastas are the perfect size to eat with the savory mini meatballs.
When I make this soup, I like to use frozen or fresh gnocchi or frozen mini potato dumplings. All are great options for this savory soup.
Some may have a problem with this recipe being called a traditional name, but not having the traditional pasta.
If they try to fight you on it, tell them it is called Italian Divorce Soup instead. I would love to see their reaction!
The Dumpling Diaries
The frozen potato dumplings may be hard to find as I heard the company behind the brand that I used to cook with closed its doors. You can easily sub gnocchi instead of dumplings or any kind of pasta.
I do believe that Reames brand, who sell frozen egg noodles, also sell a frozen dumpling for soups.
The beauty of this soup is that any favorite starch that you like to cook with will be good in this recipe. It is all a matter of preference for the taste and texture you want in every savory spoonful.
Nap Time For Meatballs
The step that throws people off when I have shared this recipe in the past is the one where you let the meatballs rest. I do not have a scientific explanation for this step, but it is very important.
To explain it in laymanés terms, you want the meat to bind together so they do not fall apart when they are simmering in the broth. Giving them time to rest allows them to hold up in the simmering process.
Don’t worry about them sitting out for a bit! They will simmer in VERY hot broth for the perfect amount of time, cooking them fully and making them very safe to eat.
This is the very same theory that I use when making my Best Ever Meatballs, one of the most popular recipes ever on The Tipsy Housewife I might add.
Why Chicken Broth?
Some will question my use of chicken broth in this recipe instead of using a beef broth. I personally like to use a chicken broth because it perfectly balances the many different flavors in this recipe.
I also just like the broth to be lighter in appearance so that you can see the beauty of the spinach, other vegetables, and the meatballs.
Don’t Over Mix Your Meat
The biggest mistake people make with meatballs is that they over mix the meat when they are prepping the meatballs. This makes them tough.
I saw someone once mix meatball meat in a stand mixer and I about passed out. You want to make sure that the ingredients are combined but you do not want to handle your meat too much, especially since you will be rolling it into balls.
This same concept holds true for my Meatloaf Recipe. Most meatloaf is way too dense simply because people over mix the meat.
Share and Enjoy
This recipe makes a large batch of soup. This soup can be frozen or better yet shared with a friend or family member who would really appreciate a meal.
I like to bring this soup to people with a really nice loaf of bread, some fancy butter, and a dessert. It is the perfect meal to share with a someone in need.
I hope you love this recipe.
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
My twist on Italian Wedding Soup is a meatball lover's dream, made with mini savory meatballs, a rich broth, some leafy greens with your favorite pasta or gnocchi for some flair.
Ingredients
- 1lb of ground beef
- 1lb of ground pork
- 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 cup of powder type Parmesan (finely grated)
- 1 medium yellow onion, grated
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning
- 2 cups of diced celery, with leaves
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely minced
- 2 cups of finely minced carrots
- 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken bouillon
- Approximately 14 cups of water *you can use the equivalent amount of ready made chicken broth
- 4 to 6 cups of fresh spinach
- 1 package of frozen gnocchi or frozen dumplings or 1 cup of very small, uncooked pasta (ditalini, acini de pepe, or orzo) *all pictured in post
- Black pepper, dried or fresh parsley, and Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and pork, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, grated onions + the juice from the onions and the soy sauce.
- Mix this until well combined, do not over mix.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and season with the salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs. Add to the meat mixture and combine.
- Roll your meatballs into approximately 2 inch balls. These should be very small. They do not have to be exact but try to roll them all the same size.
- As you roll the meatballs, place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper or something else to be sure they do not stick. When all the meatballs are rolled, leave them sitting out on the counter to rest while you start the broth.
- In a large soup pot, add your olive oil and butter. When it is warm add your carrots, onions, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 15 minutes or until the veggies are soft and golden brown.
- Add your bouillon and sauté for another 5 minutes or so, then add your water. If using chicken broth instead of water, add this when you are done sautéing the carrots, celery and onion.
- Bring this to a low simmer and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes while the meatballs are still resting. The meatballs should rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes. This is to be sure they bind together and don't fall apart when you add them to the broth.
- While the broth is simmering on low (you do not want to have it boiling hard) add your meatballs one at a time to the simmering broth. When they are all added, be sure the broth is on lowish heat, it should just be bubbling occasionally. Cover and simmer the meatballs for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally VERY carefully while they simmer. Make sure none are sunk to the bottom and sticking.
- After the meatballs have simmered for 30 minutes, test one to make sure they are cooked. Once they are then add your frozen gnocchi or dumplings, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until they are fully cooked. IF you are using a mini pasta, boil the pasta separately from the soup and add it to the soup fully cooked and drain just before serving.
- Add as much uncooked spinach as you like. Stir until it is soft.
- Add soup to individual bowls and top with fresh or dried parsley, Parmesan, and black pepper.