With mini meatballs, tender escarole & pasta, this soup embodies the love and warmth of an Italian Nonna’s kitchen.
I’m not Italian by heritage, but I married into an Italian family. There were things I had to know how to make that were “Nonna approved”. Sauce, meatballs, homemade pasta, and wedding soup.
I grew up on soup that was a meal, not just a precursor or a side dish to the main meal. Soups were hearty, stick to the ribs, and comforting to the soul. Or, as I coined the phrase years ago – “Soup is like a hug from your grandma; warm, comforting, and good for the soul!”
TKW Family Love
This recipe is AMAZING!!! I accidentally forgot the egg & Parmesan for the meatballs, (talking on the phone while trying a new recipe is not a good idea…lol) & didn’t have any parsley, but added a dash of garlic powder & ground oregano, along with the milk soaked bread. (I did brown meatballs slightly in oven, but that is just a preference with beef/pork) For seasonings, I used Epicure Greek, Epicure Italian, ground oregano, ground thyme, and an Oregano Sea Salt Blend. At the end, I accidentally used a generous 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan with eggs. (… still talking! Love my sister in law!) Thank goodness this recipe forgave me! This was my first time using Acini de Pepe! Definitely needed all 12 cups of chicken broth. Unfortunately no grocery producers in my city have even heard of escarole, so sadly, I had to substitute with spinach. I’m going to try growing it in my garden come spring, as now I really want to know what it tastes like! The hint of tossing the Parmesan rind into the simmering broth, is GENIUS, & added a bonus flavour. Although I was unable to make your “authentic” Italian wedding soup, I learned so many new things, so thank you! Your recipe has been shared with several others who LOVED this soup! I’m excited to check out your other recipes!!! You have such a wonderful sense of humour!
What is Italian Wedding Soup?
Traditionally it’s chicken stock that has mini beef and pork meatballs, green veggies (like escarole), Acini de Pepe pasta, parmesan, and egg.
Does it have chicken in it? If you ask me and the Italians in Mr. Fantabulous’ family. No. In my opinion, adding chicken to it is like, “Hey, here’s a chicken noodle soup with mini meatballs.” But can you add it? Sure, don’t serve it to me, k? You could poach some chicken breasts in your Instant Pot, shred it, and add it after adding the egg and parmesan.
Wedding soup comes from the Italian phrase “minestera maritata” or “married soup”. It’s the marriage of greens and meat.
Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients
- Meatballs – beef & pork
- Escarole – I’ve seen folks use spinach and kale but I’m sorry, it just doesn’t have the same flavor as escarole.
- Veggies – Carrots, celery, onions
- Acini de Pepe
- Parmesan Egg Drizzle
How to make Italian Wedding Soup
Making the actual soup is easy. Where I’d say you’ll spend the majority of your time making the mini meatballs and chopping the vegetables. This is something that would be great to get the kids involved! Have one mix the meatballs and the other scoop/roll them out.
- In a Dutch oven or stockpot, sauté your carrots, onions, and celery. Once they are translucent, add the stock and bring to a boil.
- When the veggies are sauteing, chop up the escarole. When the stock is boiling, add the escarole, mini meatballs, and the Acini de Pepe. Stir to combine.
- While the meatballs, pasta, and escarole are cooking, whisk together the eggs and parmesan cheese.
- When the meatballs are cooked, slowly stir in the egg Parmesan mixture to form thin strands of egg. Cook for about a minute and season to taste.
Best meatballs for Italian Wedding Soup
Meatballs, to me, are rarely all beef. The mixture of meat and pork lends to the tenderest meatballs and the most flavorful. You will also find that almost all of my meatballs use a panade.
Chef’s Term: Panade
A panade is where you put bread in a bowl and add milk. The bread soaks up the milk after about 5-10 minutes and creates a panade. You may have heard it called “milk bread.” To me, it’s critical to help the meatballs retain their tenderness.
Meatball Tips
In most meatball applications, I bake mine (either par-bake and finish in a sauce or bake fully as I do in my Gobbler Thanksgiving Meatballs).
However, they are not in Italian wedding soup. They are cooked directly in the pot. Since they are so tiny, they cook in boiling stock with the escarole and Acini de Pepe.
Could you fry or roast them first? You *could* but honestly, I tried both and didn’t like the flavor they imparted to the soup. These meatballs should be soft and tender not only on the inside but also on the outside.
While we’re talking meatballs, let’s talk shaping. These are TINY. I use my Jenluca Mini Cookie Scoop. It’s only two teaspoons full, which makes it so much easier to make. Just mix the ingredients, scoop, and put on the baking sheet. If need be, plop the scoop into damp hands to make them round.
Nonna-approved tips for Traditional Italian Wedding Soup
There are a few things that are crucial to making truly amazing soup. From my decades of making this, I consider this to be a tried and true Nonna-approved tip!
- No shredded chicken. This isn’t Italian Chicken Noodle soup.
- Escarole – no kale, no spinach but escarole. Spinach doesn’t give it the right flavor, and kale is funky.
- Yes, you need to add the egg and parmesan (well, okay you can skip if you’re allergic), but it helps give it that unctuous flavor and mouth-feel
- Use tiny pasta. It doesn’t take over the dish but does give some body to the stock.
- Cook the pasta in the pot with the rest of the stuff. If you need more stock, add it. The pasta will plump even more after it’s fully cooked, so you may need to add more stock upon reheating. That’s completely fine and normal.
BONUS TIP
I don’t list it here, BUT if you have leftover parmesan cheese rinds, SAVE THEM! I keep a baggie of them in my freezer. When I make my soups, I toss one of the rinds in for about 15 minutes to flavor the soup.
In this recipe, I toss the rind in when I put the meatballs in to boil. I remove the rind and discard it when it’s all done and the egg mixture has been stirred.
What is Acini de Pepe, and what other pasta could you use?
In Italian, it means “seeds of pepper” or peppercorns. It’s a tiny round-shaped pasta that you tend to boil in the soup.
If you can’t find it you could use orzo, stellini, ditalini, or tubetti pasta. Couscous doesn’t quite work and tends to turn gummy.
Someone will ask, so I might as well put it out there. Yes, you can use cooked rice (wild rice blend would be awesome) but make sure you cook it in stock!
What pairs well with Italian Wedding Soup?
If it’s just me, this is a meal. Just give me some crusty bread, and I’m in heaven! Since this is deemed Italian, I tend to serve this with:
- stuffed shells
- homemade spaghetti
- chicken parmesan
- Panzanella Salad
- Pork Ragout
- Crusty Bread and Tuscan Dipping Oil
There’s not much that I don’t pair with this. This is just such a great recipe to have in your wheelhouse. It freezes beautifully and is one that I honestly have on hand all year long!
Speaking of freezing…
Can you freeze Italian Wedding Soup?
Absolutely! I make a massive pot monthly and freeze it in smaller containers. Just ladle into your freezer-safe containers, leaving a 1″ gap at the top. Once cooled completely, place the lid and put it in the freezer.
This makes great dishes to drop off with your family and friends! Drop off a container of soup (fresh or frozen), a loaf of crusty bread, and reheating instructions. This would put a smile on anyone’s face!
What I often do is make up extra and give it to some of my elderly senior friends that I know don’t often get home-cooked meals. I’ll stock up their freezers with this for them.
To reheat it’s best to thaw in the fridge overnight. When to heat it, place the soup back into a pot on the stove or in the microwave and heat until heated through.
Make ahead tips for Traditional Italian Wedding Soup
When I know I’m going to make a big pot of this soup, I’ll make up a huge batch of meatballs. Yes, this means sitting at the kitchen island and rolling meatballs for an hour or so.
Essentially I’ll double the meatball recipe and save one tray for the pot and one tray I’ll put in the freezer. This is known as flash freezing. Once the meatballs are frozen, I’ll transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
This is a great way to get the kids all involved on a snowy afternoon…or when you need help. I tend just to put on a movie, sit at my kitchen island, and scoop and roll until they are all done.
The next time I’m making this soup, all I have to do is grab my bag of frozen meatballs and toss them into the boiling stock. You may need to add another minute or two of boiling, but that’s it! Trust me, it’s a HUGE time saver, as those little mini meatballs are a labor of love!
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Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Blend Rice Soup (with Crock Pot instructions too!)
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Dad’s Red Beef Soup
A perfect pot roast-style soup!
Tuscan White Bean & Sausage Spinach Soup
This Tuscan White Bean & Sausage Spinach Soup will definitely warm you up on a cold day. With the flavors of Tuscany, you can’t help but fall in love with this soup! Serve this with some crusty bread!
Rustic Creamy Corn and Potato Soup
For those chilly days when you want a delicious, hearty soup that warms you from the inside out this soup is for you! It’s like a hug in a bowl!
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
With mini meatballs, tender escarole & pasta, this soup embodies the love and warmth of an Italian Nonna’s kitchen.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Soup
- 4–8 cups chopped escarole (1 head)
- 3/4 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots (about 3)
- 1 cup finely chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 12 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan plus more for garnish
- 1–2” slice of Parmesan rind
- 1 cup dry acini de pepe
Meatballs
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 slices of torn bread soaked in 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- In a large bowl add all of the meatball mixture and mix to just combine. Do not overwork the meat as it will get tough. Using a small cookie scoop or a Tablespoon, scoop the meatballs into 1/2” round balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate. Repeat to make all of the meatballs. Set aside.
- In a large stock pot over medium heat add the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer add the onion, carrots and celery, stirring. Saute for 6-8 minutes or until the onions turn translucent. Add the stock and bring to a boil scraping the bottom. Once it starts to boil, add the meatballs, the Parmesan rind, pasta, and escarole. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through stirring often. When the meatballs are fully cooked, remove the Parmesan rind and discard.
- In a bowl whisk together the egg and 2 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Turn heat down on the soup to medium. Start stirring the soup around in a circle. Continue stirring and gradually drizzle in the egg mixture to form thin strands of egg; ~ 1 minute. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
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