Description
A hearty, comforting classic soup featuring tender homemade meatballs, fresh vegetables, and delicate pasta in a flavorful broth, perfect for family gatherings or a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Meatballs
- ½ lb. ground beef, 85% lean
- ½ lb. ground pork
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- For the Soup
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1¼ cups carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¾ cup acini de pepe pasta, uncooked
- 4–5 cups fresh spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- To Garnish
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatballs: Gently combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl, being careful not to overwork the meat as this can make the meatballs tough. Use your hands to mix ingredients until just combined, then roll the mixture into small, uniform ¾-inch balls. Set aside on a plate or baking sheet.
- Brown the Meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, brown the meatballs for about 2 minutes, turning occasionally to get color on multiple sides. The meatballs don’t need to be fully cooked at this stage as they’ll finish cooking in the soup. Transfer browned meatballs to a clean plate.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In the same pot, reduce heat to medium and add the diced onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for approximately 6 minutes until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally. If the pot seems dry, add another splash of olive oil to help the vegetables cook evenly.
- Add Aromatics: Stir in the minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for just 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Prepare the Broth: Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook the Soup: Return the browned meatballs to the pot and allow them to simmer gently in the broth. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the acini de pepe pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta once cooked.
- Add Finishing Touches: Stir the fresh spinach into the soup and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Add a portion of the cooked pasta to each serving bowl, then ladle the hot soup with meatballs and vegetables over the pasta. Garnish generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
- Cooking the pasta separately prevents it from absorbing too much broth during storage. If you don’t anticipate leftovers, you can cook the pasta directly in the soup.
- For Slow Cooker method: Brown meatballs and vegetables as directed, then transfer to a slow cooker with broth and seasonings. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add pasta (cooked separately) and spinach in the last 10 minutes.
- For Instant Pot method: Use the sauté function to brown meatballs and vegetables, add broth and seasonings, then pressure cook for 5 minutes with a quick release. Add cooked pasta and spinach after releasing pressure.
- This soup freezes well without the pasta. Freeze the soup base and add freshly cooked pasta when reheating.
- Traditional Italian Wedding Soup often includes endive or escarole instead of spinach – feel free to substitute if desired.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main-course
- Method: One Pot & One Pan
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1½ cups
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 75mg