Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting and savory dish featuring tender meatballs simmered in a flavorful broth with vegetables, pasta, and fresh spinach. This recipe combines ground turkey and Italian sausage meatballs with a rich chicken broth, fresh herbs, and a touch of heat from crushed red pepper flakes, creating a delicious and hearty soup perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1/2 lb. ground turkey (or ground beef)
- 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for cooking
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup acini de pepe pasta
- 4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped (can use escarole)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For Serving (Optional)
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the meatball mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, ground Italian sausage, beaten egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Gently mix with your hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed, ensuring the mixture comes together well.
- Form the meatballs: Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs and place them on a large plate, ready for cooking.
- Brown the meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. They do not need to be fully cooked through at this stage as they will finish cooking in the soup. Transfer browned meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
- Sauté the vegetables: In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, diced carrots, and diced celery, cooking for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute to release its aroma.
- Add broth and seasonings: Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Season the soup with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Cook pasta and meatballs: Stir in the acini de pepe pasta and gently add the browned meatballs. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are completely cooked through.
- Finish the soup: Stir in the roughly chopped fresh spinach, lemon juice, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for an additional minute until the spinach wilts. Remove the pot from heat.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve hot and enjoy this classic Italian comfort soup.
Notes
- You can substitute ground beef for ground turkey if preferred.
- Acini de pepe pasta can be replaced with other small pasta shapes like orzo or ditalini.
- To make it spicier, increase the amount of crushed red pepper flakes.
- For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and pasta.
- Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Adding lemon juice at the end brightens the flavors and balances richness.
