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.
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!
Table of Contents
“This soup is perfect for a cold evening meal, and a real crowd pleaser.”
What You’ll Need To Make Italian Wedding Soup
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.
In a large bowl, beat the egg with the chives, sage and garlic.
Add the ground beef, sausage, cheese, breadcrumbs, and salt.
Mash with your hands until evenly combined.
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.)
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside.
To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery.
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.
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
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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.
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. 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 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.
- 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.
- 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
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- 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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Absolutely amazing soup. Everyone loved it!! How much? Well, my 7 yo woke up the next day and asked if there’s any more soup left so he can have it for breakfast …. And he did !!! Thank you so much. Absolutely delicious.
Highly recommend cooking pasta separately. Add to serving bowls, top with the soup.
Great recipe!
Wonderful recipe! Tastes as great as it looks. I was worried the Italian sausage would be overpowering but once in the soup it was not at all. It was perfect!
How many servings is this for? Trying to determine the amount of spinach to our liking.
Thanks
Hi Maria, It serves 8. Hope you enjoy!
Another delicious recipe! Thanks for keeping us healthy all winter! I make one of your soup recipes every night of the week to keep us healthy and we are now on 6 months of soups!
Just made this for dinner tonight and my wife and I really enjoyed it! The meatballs and broth were the best parts – 7 thumbs up!
I need to reverse the proportions of meat: half a pound of ground beef and 3/4 of a pound of Italian sausage. Do you think that will work? Thank you!
Sure, that will work. Enjoy!
I have made this several times because everybody in the house loved it. It’s well worth the time it takes-especially all them little meatballs.
The soup was delicious and the meatballs tasty but they were dry. I used ground pork not Italian sausage. Could that have been the reason?
Yes, I think that’s the culprit. Sausage adds some additional fat/moisture to the meatballs.
Best Italian Wedding Soup recipe, very filling too! Whole family loved it with homemade bread.
First time making this soup. I loved it & my kids liked it too! Thanks for the great recipe. I will save this one! 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes! It turns out great everytime and we never end up with leftovers. Just remember that the fresher the ingredients the better it will taste. :’)
I make this allllll the time!! So delicious
Great recipe. I only had 2 cups of beef broth and it still had flavor as I added 1-2 more teaspoons salt.
hi would it be okay i make the soup (the broth and meatballs) but the next day add/make the pasta and add the spinach? ps sorry my 2nd question – im planning a food thing, using all your recipes 🙂
Hi Eli, I’m happy to answer your questions! Yes, it’s fine to make the meatballs and broth a day in advance and then add the pasta and spinach the next day. Hope you enjoy!
I dont have a rack to set over sheet pan. Should i turn part way thru?
Yes that’s a good idea 🙂
Oops didn’t see your message in time. Thankfully they came out great without turning.
These meatballs were the bomb! Don’t usually cook with sage. Such a great flavor. I think id love to put them over risotto too for non-soup seasons. 😉
Used tiny elbows for pasta.
Didnt have the white wine but used 1/4 cup white wine vinegar to replace and a little extra beef broth. Yum! 😋
This is one of the best soups I’ve ever had! I don’t like the canned Italian Wedding Soup so I was hesitant to try it…. I added 2X the amount of spinach more than the recipe called for because we love spinach, it was great.
Just made this for dinner last night with pearl couscous and plant-based meatballs, and it was delicious. Pro tip: drizzle it with Trader Joe’s chili oil crunch and prepare to be amazed!
I am considering making this soup and would like to know why you emphasize using broths that aren’t low sodium? I’d prefer to add salt as I deem necessary once soup is cooked, but respect that as the professional you have your reasons for it. Please enlighten me.
Hi Andi, when I tested this with low-sodium broth, I found it to be a bit bland. Feel free to use low-sodium broth, though, and then add salt to taste if necessary. Hope that clarifies!
Can’t wait to make! I’m sure it’s delicious like all your others. If I do not use the white wine, should I add extra water or broth?
Thank you!
Hi Gina, you can just omit the wine — no need to replace it with anything else. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Jenn! I’ve got tons of Parmesan rinds languishing in the freezer. Would the soup be too salty if I threw one in (and used the recommended regular- not low sodium) broth?
I think it should be fine. If you’re concerned about it, feel free to reduce the added salt and add more to taste when serving. Enjoy!
Yum
Fantastic soup! My roommate and I made this and were in genuine awe at how good it was. Great recipe – thank you!
This soup is a family and friend favorite! So full of rich flavor and fairly simple to make. The first time I made the meatballs I was a little nervous about how they would turn out, but not to worry, they are delicious! This soup is perfect for a cold evening meal, and a real crowd pleaser. I followed the recipe exactly as written, it’s a meal all by itself!
My whole family LOVED this soup!! Went back for seconds even though they were full!!
I can’t wait to make it again!!
I would love to make this in a crockpot for an easy Christmas lunch. Any suggestions on hoe to adjust the time? Thanks Jen, love your recipes!
Kelly
Hi Kelly, I don’t have a lot of wisdom to share regarding timing in a slow cooker because I don’t have experience with one, but these tips may help you convert the recipe. Hope you find them useful!
DO NOT BE LIKE ME.
I’m making this (for the first time) for a soup potluck tomorrow for work. I’ve never been let down by a soup recipe from Jenn and hastily grabbed all the ingredients excited to wow my coworkers. It’s important to note I have young children and am sleep deprived. Well, I must say, 40 minutes into destemming BABY SPINACH I felt like I must be doing something wrong. That wrong thing was getting baby spinach. I’m sure this recipe is worth it but I’m also sure normal spinach would have been much, much faster. Giving 5 stars despite not trying it yet because I’m sure it’s delightful.
Any recommended DF substitute for the parmesan in the meatballs? I could use nutritional yeast or a Nooch It (combo of cashew & nutritional yeast), or just omit this.
Hi Brae, either of the substitutes you suggested should work. Hope you enjoy the soup!
I like how this recipe looks. Question: can ground turkey/chicken be substituted for the ground beef and the Turkey Kielbasa sausage with the sausage?
Hi Audrey, ground turkey can be used in place of ground beef, but kielbasa won’t work as a substitute for the sausage in the recipe.
Excellent! I’m vegetarian so while the veggies simmered added some crushed fennel and red pepper flakes that helped give it an Italian taste to go with my veg meatballs. Once finished added 1/2 lemon juice and fresh parsley. This recipe hit the spot. Sooooooo good.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight. The only change I made was using hot Italian sausage instead of mild in the meatballs. The entire family loved it and it’ll go in our winter rotation. Thank you for a flavorful, filling soup recipe!
First time making this soup. The meatballs were delicious! I would make this again! I didn’t add the noodles and it tasted great without the pasta! Very easy recipe to follow as well. Regards Mary
Made this several weeks ago. Excellent results, both my wife and I loved it. Great balance with the beef and chicken broth. Would think a good vegetable broth would taste good too but recipe is perfect the way it is. Made my meatballs super tiny, about the size of a macadamia nut. Helped with the overall texture. Lots of work but it’s the little things. Thanks for a great recipe!
This soup turned out amazing! I served it for a luncheon with some friends. Everyone thought it was delicious. I have made it several times. It is definitely a keeper!
Absolutely love your meatball recipe, the sage takes it to the next level. I’ve made this soup many times now, we obviously love it. I do make my own broth. Thank you for this recipe.
This soup was the BEST Italian Wedding Soup we have ever had. I had chives and sage left in my herb garden! It will definitely become part of the winter rotation (even if I have to buy the sage and chives!)
This was so delicious. Easy to follow recipe. I used champagne instead of white wine. Yum!
Also I browned my meatballs.
Loved this soup recipe
Jenn, would you recommend subbing orzo if you want the soup to be a little less soupy?
Hi Mark, I don’t think that will make a difference; you could just add more dittalini or orzo if you want the soup to be a bit thicker.
Easy to make and delicious!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! What a delicious fall soup and a great way to get some veggies and greens in! My question is: What brand is that adorable blue pot you are using in the photos? I need some new pots and pans!
It’s Le Creuset. Hope you enjoy the soup!
I ran across your recipe while looking for meatball recipes. I didn’t make the soup, but it does look delish. I came here to say the meatballs were amazing!! My company loved them, said they were the best they ever had. 🙂 Thank you
Tried this recipe for my family, as written, and absolutely delicious. My family thinks I’m an amazing cook and it’s truly thanks to your no-fail recipes.
First thank you for letting me see the recipe without having to join your site etc… second… this recipe is crazy good. I’ve tried many and for me I’m the beef stock flavoring is such an incredible enhancement. Also loved the fresh ingredients.. I used the hot Italian sausage as we were fighting colds… wouldn’t change back to the sweet sausage. Thank you
Did you use sweet or hot sausage in your recipe?
Hi Connie, I’ve used both and they’re both delicious, so it’s really a personal preference. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
My family loved it! I did not make the meatballs but instead browned the sausage and added 1/2 tsp sage to the soup. Also used frozen kale (rinsed and squeezed) This was amazing and I kept the recipe.
I made it & it was perfect. Took it to neighbor whose husband was in hospital and his brother and sister in law were staying with her. They are all “foodies”. & I was hoping they would like it. I was Told they ate it two nights in a row and they want the recipe! I gave them your website! Thank you so much .
I know you said (very clearly) not to use low sodium broths, but since I have been watching my sodium, I did anyway, and it turned out amazing anyway.
I used 85% less-sodium beef broth, 4 cups of 55% less-sodium chicken broth, 2 cups of regular chicken broth. (mix based on what was available). Other than that, I followed the recipe almost exactly (more pasta because we are a carb house).
The recipe feels warm and joyful, and with the work for the meatballs (which are incredible and I will be making on their own as well), I felt super proud of this dish, thank you for sharing.
I was never a big of this soup, but my BF is, so I will be trying out this recipe. I am wondering if you think it might translate well to the slowcooker?
Hi, Regarding making this in a slow cooker, I don’t have a lot of wisdom to share because I don’t have experience with one, but these tips may help you convert the recipe. Hope you find them useful!
Much obliged 🙂
Followed the recipe to the letter. I’m going to have to double it next time: my family ate it all up in one go! Even my pickiest eater fell in love with it.
Trying this tonight. I’m using homemade stock I already had made. First time doing homemade meatballs! I can’t wait!!
Excellent soup…love those meatballs.
I can’t believe how good this soup tastes and I can’t stop thinking about it either. Jenn’s recipe is a classic!
I made this delicious soup and will make it again