Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting and flavorful soup featuring tender homemade meatballs, delicate small pasta, fresh herbs, and a savory chicken broth. This classic Italian-American dish is perfect for cozy dinners and is both hearty and nourishing, combining ground beef and pork meatballs with vegetables and aromatic seasoning.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Meatballs
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Pasta
- 3/4 cup small pasta (e.g., acini di pepe or orzo)
Instructions
- Heat Olive Oil: In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, preparing the base for sautéing the vegetables.
- Sauté Onion: Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. This step builds flavor for the soup base.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute, stirring frequently to avoid burning, releasing its aromatic qualities.
- Add Broth and Boil: Pour in the 6 cups of chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat to start the cooking process.
- Simmer Broth: Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer, setting the stage for vegetables to cook.
- Add Vegetables and Herbs: Incorporate the sliced carrots, chopped celery, dried oregano, dried thyme, black pepper, and salt into the broth, infusing it with flavor.
- Simmer Vegetables: Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften, creating a tender base.
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ground beef and ground pork to form the base of the meatballs.
- Add Meatball Ingredients: Add breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, egg, fresh parsley, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the meat mixture to bind and flavor the meatballs.
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: Thoroughly mix the ingredients until well combined, ensuring even distribution for consistent flavor and texture.
- Shape Meatballs: Form the meat mixture into small meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter, making sure they are compact but not overly tight to maintain tenderness.
- Add Meatballs to Soup: Gently place the shaped meatballs into the simmering broth.
- Cook Meatballs: Let the meatballs cook in the broth for about 10 minutes, or until fully cooked through and floating to the surface, indicating doneness.
- Add Pasta: Stir in the small pasta, such as acini di pepe or orzo, combining it with the soup.
- Cook Pasta: Continue to cook the soup for an additional 8–10 minutes until the pasta is tender but not overcooked, ensuring a delicate texture.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as desired by adding more salt, pepper, or herbs to suit your preference.
- Remove from Heat: Once pasta is cooked and soup is well-seasoned, remove the pot from the heat to prevent overcooking.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, garnished with extra fresh parsley or basil if desired for a fresh herbal note.
Notes
- If preferred, substitute ground turkey or chicken for a leaner meatball option.
- Using fresh herbs enhances the soup’s flavor but dried herbs can be substituted if necessary.
- Acini di pepe pasta is traditional, but orzo or even small ditalini pasta work well as alternatives.
- Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and pasta.
- Red pepper flakes are optional but add a nice mild heat to the soup.
- Do not overcook the pasta to avoid it becoming mushy; it should remain slightly firm to the bite.
