Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients

Here’s what you need to know about your Italian wedding soup ingredients.

Pasta: Teeny, tiny pasta shapes are the best choice for this savory soup. You just want to see them sprinkled through the soup instead of feeling like they’re the key player.

Sausage: Raw Italian sausage is the major contributor of flavor for this recipe. Some styles have more herbal, fennel notes than others. Experiment with different brands to find the one you prefer.

Broth: Prepared chicken broth provides plenty of flavor to the soup, adding richness and a silky-smooth texture to the finished dish. While chicken broth is traditional, you can experiment with vegetable or beef broth for a deeper flavor.

Vegetables: Dicing the vegetables makes every spoonful of your soup look as beautiful as it tastes!

Bread Crumbs, Spinach, Parmesan, and Egg: These last elements fill out the flavors and textures of the soup.

Cookware You’ll Need

You probably have all the necessary equipment to make this delicious soup, but here are a couple of items we find helpful to have.

Dutch Oven: We chose a 5-quart Dutch oven because it’s a versatile pot that gets the job done for this recipe. You can cook the pasta, brown the meatballs, and cook the soup, all in the same pan.

Slotted Spoon: We used a large, silicone-coated slotted spoon for turning and removing the meatballs. It’s versatile so you can also use it for stirring the pasta, vegetables, and soup.

How to Make Italian Wedding Soup

Here’s a quick rundown of how to make this delicious soup, but you can find the full recipe and ingredients below.

1. Cook the Pasta

Cook pasta until just tender, avoiding overcooking. Toss with olive oil to prevent sticking while preparing the rest of the soup.

2. Make and Brown the Meatballs.

For even-sized meatballs, divide the mixture into fourths, then each fourth into eight equal portions (32 meatballs total). Alternatively, weigh the total mixture, divide by 32, and weigh each individual meatball. Brown until nearly cooked through; a little pink in the center is okay.

3. Cook the Vegetables.

Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in pan drippings, stirring frequently, especially at the edges, to prevent burning.

4. Finish the Soup.

Add meatballs, broth, cooked pasta, and spinach during the final cooking stage. Simmer for a few minutes to finish cooking the meatballs and blend the flavors. Enjoy!

Possible Variations

Feel free to try all sorts of substitutions with this recipe!

Pasta: Other small pasta like acini di pepe can stand in for the orzo.

Protein: Raw chicken or turkey sausage can be used instead of Italian sausage, but consider using a dash of Italian seasoning for consistent flavor.

Greens: Baby greens like arugula and baby kale can be used instead of spinach.

Want to try some other Italian meatball soups? Our Slow-Cooker Italian Meatball Soup is loaded with flavor, with just 6 ingredients! Frozen meatballs make this recipe quick and easy. And this recipe for Italian Meatball and Tortellini Soup is another good one pot, Dutch oven delicacy, ready in just 35 minutes!

Serving Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup is best served piping hot with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Pair it with some flaky Pillsbury™ crescent rolls or crusty French bread to soak up the delicious broth. A simple side salad with a bottled vinaigrette rounds out the meal.

Storing Italian Wedding Soup

Refrigerator

Cover and store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Freezer

To freeze, allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer individual portions to freezer-safe containers.

Reheating

• Refrigerated: Transfer individual servings into microwavable bowls. Cover loosely and microwave on medium-high (70%) about 2 minutes, stirring once, until steaming. Add a bit of water if the soup seems too thick. Stir again before serving.

• Frozen: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Transfer individual servings into microwavable bowls. Cover loosely and microwave on medium-high (70%)  about 2 minutes, stirring once, until steaming. Add a bit of water if the soup seems too thick. Stir again before serving.