Italian Wedding Soup
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Simple ingredients, big comfort—this Italian wedding soup recipe is one you’ll want on repeat all season long.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
My kids love anything with meatballs, so this Italian wedding soup recipe is always a hit at our house. Made with a rich broth, greens, tiny pasta and mini meatballs, it’s a meal unto itself. The name comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata, or “married soup,” a nod to the way the flavors combine, like a happy marriage.
The traditional recipe can be a bit of a project, but I save time by using store-bought broth fortified with wine and plenty of veggies. For the meatballs, my secret is adding ground Italian sausage to the beef mixture—it packs tons of flavor without the need for extra seasoning.
Rolling the mini meatballs is the most time-consuming part, but I usually recruit the kids to help. To save even more time down the road, you can double the meatball recipe and freeze half—you’ll be glad you did! Serve with warm garlic bread and a Caesar salad.
“Wonderful recipe! Tastes as great as it looks.”
What You’ll Need To Make Italian Wedding Soup
- Lean ground beef and Italian sausage: Form the base of the meatballs, adding tenderness, spice, and rich flavor.
- Egg and Italian seasoned bread crumbs: Bind the meatballs and give them a light, tender texture.
- Fresh chives, sage, and garlic: Lend subtle onion, earthy, and savory notes to the meatballs.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Adds sharp, nutty flavor to both the meatballs and the finished soup.
- Olive oil: Used to sauté the vegetables and adds richness.
- Yellow onion, carrots, and celery: The classic aromatic trio for a flavorful soup base.
- Chicken and beef broths: Create a rich, hearty base (use regular, not low-sodium, for best flavor).
- Dry white wine: Adds a touch of acidity that brightens the broth.
- Bay leaf: Infuses the soup with a subtle, earthy aroma.
- Small pasta (like ditalini, orzo, or pearl couscous): Gives the soup heartiness and texture.
- Fresh spinach: Stirred in at the end for color and freshness; chard or escarole also work well.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Start the meatballs. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, chives, sage, and garlic with a fork — this helps evenly distribute the flavor before you add the meat and breadcrumbs.
Step 2: Mix in remaining meatball ingredients. Add the ground beef, sausage, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and salt. Use your hands to gently mash and mix until everything’s evenly combined — don’t overwork it or the meatballs will be dense.
Step 3: Roll and bake. Shape the mixture into tablespoon-size balls and arrange them on a greased, oven-safe rack set over a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside while you start the soup.
Step 4: Start the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and just starting to turn golden, about 8 minutes.
Step 5: Add the liquid and seasoning. Pour in the chicken broth, beef broth, water, and wine, then add the bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot for extra flavor.
Step 6: Add the pasta. Stir in the ditalini and cook, uncovered, at a gentle boil until the pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Step 7: Finish the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Reduce the heat to low, then add the meatballs and spinach. Simmer for a few minutes, just until the spinach wilts and the meatballs are heated through.
Video Tutorial
More Italian Recipes to Bring to Your Table
Italian Wedding Soup
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
- Make the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set an oven-proof roasting rack over top. Spray the rack generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- 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 in (2.5 cm) 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.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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This was a huge hit with everyone in my house-and they are very picky! There is something for everyone in this soup and it’s delicious! I love that it has so many veggies and was easy to make! Perfect for this time of year! I also had plenty for two nights of dinner (family of four).
Hello, this is an awesome soup! made numerous time now. When Jenn says to not use low sodium broth, please listen, reg broth is required. However, if like me, you only have low sodium broth on hand, throw in a few Parmesan rinds!
Why full sodium broth? Do you have any ideas? I am not a fan of foods that are too salty.
This is a fantastic Italian Wedding Soup recipe! Great flavor, just the right amount of broth to other ingredients. I’ve made this for church events and they always want the recipe.
WOOHOOO!!!! Italian Wedding Soup… 5 STARS! This recipe was awe inspiring. When I visit my family we order Italian Wedding Soup from a wonderful Italian restaurant, we all love it. It’s heavenly. I was back home and really missing that soup. THIS RECIPE is magnificent and I like it even more than the restaurant version. It makes a good bit so it’s worth the time. It’s not a difficult recipe and it’s worth every second! The meatballs were so tasty, the fresh chives really added flavor and complimented everything perfectly, the parmesan also adds so much flavor. I did as Jenn suggested for the soup and used both beef and chicken broth (Swanson, not low sodium) – it didn’t have a weird “chicken broth” flavor that happens with so many soup recipes. The addition of beef broth to the chicken broth is brilliant. I loved the dittalini and fresh spinach. Every single thing about this recipe is amazing. NOTE! You can freeze it up to 3 months (minus the pasta). So if you like Italian Wedding Soup, this will not disappoint. Make a pot, freeze some for later (what a treat to find it in the freezer!) – Ok, I’ve got to run – going to go make my grocery list, this is DEFINITELY on the menu!
Jenn is my new favorite chef for recipes. This is a soup I’ve wanted to make and the meatballs were so good and the soup was delicious. I followed the instructions for freezing part of it by splitting it before adding the noodles. I’m so happy to have some delicious frozen soup to pull out on a busy day.
Great hot and hearty soup to get my family through the winter. Almost always have the ingredients in stock, so it definitely makes the “hmm…what’s for dinner?” list!
Italian Wedding Soup is a staple for my family during the colder weather. This is one of the best recipes that I’ve found for it. I have even taken crock pots of it to work for a comfort food lunch and there isn’t a drop left. Try it….you’ll love it!!!
My father-in-law said this is the best soup he has ever tasted so this is in regular rotation! I have as much as tripled the batch at a given time and followed the instructions on freezing and it has been great. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Love this recipe! It is chock full of protein from the meatballs and has a hearty flavor for cold winter days. I made for my dad who is in treatment for cancer and suffering from lack of appetite. He ate it up! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. It doesn’t matter which one I try, they all come out great!
Love this soup (as written – no changes)! You need a very large pot or Dutch oven for it, so plan ahead 🙂 Once the meatballs and spinach go in, it’s a full load. My daughter made the meatballs with beyond burger and said it was also delicious. I love the small amount of beef broth along with the chicken broth since it adds a tiny bit of sweetness. Don’t skip it!