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Italian Wedding Soup

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Tender meatballs, veggies, and pasta in a rich and flavorful broth, Italian wedding soup is a meal unto itself.

Large pot of Italian wedding soup.

Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)

My kids love anything with meatballs in it (especially mini meatballs), so there’s always excitement at our house when Italian wedding soup is on the menu. The name “wedding soup” comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata—or “married soup”—which is a reference to the way the flavors combine, like a happy marriage. Wedding soup is traditionally made from a rich, long-cooked homemade chicken stock. To save time and mimic the same rich flavor, I use a combination of high-quality store-bought broth fortified with wine and lots of veggies. For the meatballs, my secret is to add ground sausage to the beef mixture, which adds tons of flavor without the need for lots of other seasonings.

The most tedious part of the recipe is rolling the little meatballs (the recipe makes 50!), so I usually get one of the kids to help. Italian wedding soup is hearty and truly a meal unto itself. Serve it with warm bread—focaccia is especially good—and a Caesar salad, and dinner is served!

“This soup is perfect for a cold evening meal, and a real crowd pleaser.”

Nancy

What You’ll Need To Make Italian Wedding Soup

Soup ingredients including chicken broth, beef broth, and egg.

Note that the recipe calls for regular (not low-sodium) chicken and beef broth. I find the soup to be a bit bland with the low-sodium varieties, but if you special dietary considerations, go ahead and use low-sodium and season to taste before serving.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by making the meatballs.

Egg and herbs in a bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the egg with the chives, sage and garlic.

Fork in a bowl of egg mixture.

Add the ground beef, sausage, cheese, breadcrumbs, and salt.

Bowl of unmixed meatball mixture.

Mash with your hands until evenly combined.

Person mixing meatball mixture by hand.

Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls (about 1 inch in diameter) and place on a greased oven-safe rack. (If you don’t have an oven-safe rack, it’s fine to cook the meatballs directly on the baking sheet; it’ll just be a little harder to get rid of the fat as it tends to collect around the meatballs.)

Uncooked meatballs on a wire rack over a lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside.

Cooked meatballs on a wire rack over a lined baking sheet.

To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery.

Vegetables in a Dutch oven.

Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.

Cooked vegetables in a Dutch oven.

Add the chicken broth, beef broth, water, wine, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.

Vegetables boiling in broth.

Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, at a gentle boil until the pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes (or according to package directions).

Boodles pouring into a Dutch oven of broth.

Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Reduce the heat to low and add the spinach and meatballs.

Spinach and broth in a Dutch oven.

Simmer for a few minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the meatballs are warmed through. Ladle into bowls and serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Make It Ahead

If you’d like to make this soup part of your rotation and want to shave off a little time for the next time around, double the recipe for the meatballs and freeze half. That way, all you’ll have to do is make the soup and add the meatballs to it as directed in the recipe. (They may take a few extra minutes to warm through if you’re adding them directly from the freezer.)

Video Tutorial

Large pot of Italian wedding soup.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)

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Italian Wedding Soup

Tender meatballs, veggies, and pasta in a rich and flavorful broth, Italian wedding soup is a meal unto itself.

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 50 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¾ lb 85 or 90% lean ground beef
  • ½ lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, removed from the casings
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • ⅓ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Soup

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 6 cups high-quality chicken broth, such as Swanson (do not use low-sodium)
  • 2 cups high-quality beef broth, such as Swanson (do not use low-sodium)
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup dry white wine (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper (okay to use black pepper)
  • 1 cup small pasta such as dittalini
  • 4 oz fresh spinach, stems trimmed and roughly chopped (once prepped, you should have about 3 packed cups)
  • Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving

Instructions

  1. Make the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set an oven-proof roasting rack over top. Spray the rack generously with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the egg with the chives, sage and garlic. Add the remaining meatball ingredients and mash with your hands until evenly combined. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls, about 1 inch in diameter (it will make approximately 50 meatballs), and place on the prepared rack. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, start the soup. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken broth, beef broth, water, wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, at a gentle boil until the pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes (or according to package directions). Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Reduce the heat to low and add the spinach and meatballs. Simmer for a few minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the meatballs are warmed through. Ladle into bowls and serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
  4. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months but wait until you reheat the soup to add the pasta. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until simmering, add the pasta, and cook until the pasta is tender.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Calories: 359
  • Fat: 22 g
  • Saturated fat: 7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g
  • Sugar: 5 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 23 g
  • Sodium: 930 mg
  • Cholesterol: 83 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • This was some of the most delicious soup I’ve ever made.

    • — Amanda on March 15, 2024
    • Reply
  • Amazing!!!!! First time making won’t be the last!!

    • — Maureen on March 3, 2024
    • Reply
  • Made your recipe. It was delicious. I will definitely use this recipe again. I usually go to your recipes when I am looking for something. Thank you

    • — Cindy Sullivan on February 29, 2024
    • Reply
  • I am a soup novice , I was able to follow the recipe easily .
    The soup came out really well everyone enjoyed it .

    • — tony on February 29, 2024
    • Reply
  • I know the advertisers like to separate ingredients and instructions but I can tell you from experience you have to wash your hands to read the ingredients and then scroll away to find the instructions. Not good.

    • — girldriverusa on February 16, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi, you may want to view the recipe as if you’re going to print it. That will remove all the ads. (So, you’d go through the process of preparing to print a recipe and just view it that way.) Hope that helps!

      • — Jenn on February 16, 2024
      • Reply
  • Hi im making wedding soup, it calls for a bay leaf..im making the broth and meatballs a day ahead..do I keep the bay leaf in the soup til ready to use the next day?

    • — Carolyn on February 10, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Carolyn, You can remove the bay leaf from the broth before refrigerating it. Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on February 12, 2024
      • Reply
  • Oh so delicious!!!! Let the flavors meld for a bit before serving – so worth it!!! Wish I could post a pic of the final outcome – it’s such a beautiful soup!!!!

    • — Susannah Hanlon on February 3, 2024
    • Reply
  • Delicious and filling soup! Even better the next day.

    • — Heather Treusdell on January 25, 2024
    • Reply
  • Easy to make and great flavor, I’ll definitely be making this again!

    • — Sherie on January 21, 2024
    • Reply
  • Excellent recipe! Easy to follow and execute!
    I even got a compliment from my middle teenager!

    • — Patricia MV on January 21, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hi- how long would this keep in the fridge? Thanks!

    • — Kara on January 18, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Kara, this should last for about three days in the fridge. If you’ve already added the pasta to the soup, (you’re refrigerating leftovers), the pasta will soak up a lot of broth, so you may need to add more broth or water when reheating.

      • — Jenn on January 18, 2024
      • Reply
  • I usually cook from your website when I have guests over. I love your recipes and I have been very lucky with how they turn out. I had made your César salad for guests few weeks ago and they all loved it. I plan to make this wedding soup for the same guests tonite. I am planning to serve your big italian salad on a side so I don’t serve the same salad again to the same people. Would Italian salad be ok ? Or do you prefer César salad with this soup?

    • — Hazel on January 7, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Hazel, I think the big Italian salad would be wonderful with this. You could also do an arugula/parm salad. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on January 7, 2024
      • Reply
  • What would you serve as a side ?

    • — Hazel on January 6, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Hazel, I think this would pair nicely with my focaccia and/or a Caesar salad. Hope you enjoy whatever you make!

      • — Jenn on January 6, 2024
      • Reply
  • I had seasoned meatball mix in the freezer so I used that for the meatballs. Also added sliced mushrooms and green beans to the soup (a very adaptable recipe). The flavor of the stock is what really makes this soup delightful. Thank you!

    • — Diana on January 5, 2024
    • Reply
  • I’ve made this recipe quite a few times now. It is a big hit. I make my meatballs a little differently than the recipe calls – I just use Parsley and grated onion instead of sage/chives, and I add a small amount of ricotta for an extra delicate mouthfeel – but overall the combo of chicken/beef broth/wine really makes this soup pop. Its stored in my favorite winter recipes for my partner and I!

    • — Andrew on January 1, 2024
    • Reply
  • I’ve made it twice now and it has been a huge hit. Excellent recipe. The second time made the meatballs with veal, beef and pork sausage – its what i had around and needed to use it. Did a slow bake on those to keep the color light and render out as much fat as I could. And I had kale so used that, just had to let it take a bit more time to soften. Excellent both times.

    • — Don K on December 27, 2023
    • Reply
  • I had been looking through many Italian wedding soup recipes and am so glad I chose this one to make, it was phenomenal! Half the people it was served to asked for the recipe, and I gladly referred them to this site. I’ll be trying more recipes from this chef based on the great results of this soup recipe. As a note, I did add 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs to the meatballs, but otherwise followed as written.

    I also subscribed to her site and took the chef tip about salt to heart and think it does make difference.

    • — KimRock on December 23, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi I have the same question as Melanie. Why not just cook the meatballs in the broth from the beginning? Seems the broth would be more flavorful. I’ve made soups with little meatballs before and always cook them that way.

    • — Susan on December 21, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Susan, I prefer to bake the meatballs first to cook off some of the fat. Feel free to add them directly to the broth if you prefer.

      • — Jenn on December 21, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi! Just made this for a holiday party tomorrow-little do they know they’re guinea pigs.
    I am GF, so I use gluten free breadcrumbs and will make GF orzo, I thought that might be nice. Will add minced raw garlic at the end. Thank you for this recipe-the beef/pork/breadcrumbs and spices came out well. Tomorrow will tell! I will add the meatballs and orzo before I serve it and take some fresh spinach and shock it in the heat of the soup so it’ll be a nice bright green! Happy holidays to all and let’s pray for a wonderful 2024

    • — Kate Kelly Rothschild on December 15, 2023
    • Reply
  • Haven’t tried it yet – but recipe sounds great and am shopping for it. Question about the sausage, please. Is there a difference – ingredient or texture-wise – between using “sausage casings removed” and just pre-ground packaged sausage? So much easier, but is something sacrificed in going the easy route? Besides, successfully separating the sausage from casings just eludes me, for some reason. Appreciate any info, suggestions! Thanks – Rita

    • — Rita on December 12, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Rita, Absolutely no difference, so feel free to use the pre-ground. 🙂

      • — Jenn on December 12, 2023
      • Reply
  • WOW! My girlfriends and I used this recipe in our 5 course Italian menu night. Loved by all and already being shared! Definitely a must soup for all occasions and any reason!! The only change we made is double the meatball recipe (don’t judge until you try – those meatballs are the true star and will be used in all meatball recipes going forward).

    • — Bella on December 1, 2023
    • Reply
  • Can I use store bought frozen meatballs?

    • — Stacey on November 29, 2023
    • Reply
    • Sure, if you’d like. Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on November 30, 2023
      • Reply
  • I made this for the first time and served it to my bunco group. It received rave reviews and several requests for the recipe. Thank you for a treasure trove of recipes that never fail…even on the first attempt.

    • — Barbie on November 19, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi!

    What is your opinion on swapping out Dino Kale for spinach? I have lots of kale in the garden and would love to use it up!

    • — Gloria on October 31, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Gloria, kale should work — it may just take a few extra minutes to wilt in the soup. Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on November 1, 2023
      • Reply
  • I’m wondering if anyone has made this by cooking the meatballs in the Dutch oven rather than in a traditional oven. I know there would be a lot more fat, but would it affect the taste?

    • — Melanie on October 25, 2023
    • Reply

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