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Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 137 reviews

This classic Italian Wedding Soup features tender homemade meatballs simmered in a savory broth with fresh vegetables, kale, and small pasta. Perfectly balanced with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese, this comforting soup is easy to prepare and packed with flavor, ideal for a hearty meal any day of the year.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (sub gluten-free if needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic pressed or grated)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder (or 3 tablespoons grated onion or shallot)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped fine
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese or pecorino romano, grated
  • 1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken, better than beef crumbles, beyond beef)

Soup Base and Vegetables

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped small
  • 2 cups carrots, chopped (about 2 large carrots)
  • 1 1/2 cup celery, diced (about 3 ribs)
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
  • 5 cups kale, roughly chopped (or escarole, endive, or fresh spinach)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried (or fresh oregano)
  • 1/2 cup small pasta – acini de pepe, pastina, pearl couscous, orzo, or ditalini
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

Instructions

  1. Mix meatball ingredients: Beat the egg with a fork in a medium bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan. Mix all ingredients well and then fold in the ground turkey until evenly combined.
  2. Form meatballs: Hold a palm-sized portion of the meat mixture in your non-dominant hand. Pinch off about a teaspoon of the mixture and gently roll it between your fingers to form small marble-sized meatballs. This will yield about 80 small meatballs. Consider making the meatballs ahead for easier prep.
  3. Cook meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, sear the meatballs to brown them on all sides. Cooking them in the same pot for the soup allows you to preserve and build flavor with the browned bits left behind.
  4. Sauté aromatics: Add additional olive oil if needed, then add chopped onion, carrots, celery, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and become fragrant.
  5. Simmer soup: Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth, then add the browned meatballs back into the pot along with the chopped kale, fresh thyme, and small pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the soup for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs are cooked through. Stir in the minced fresh parsley near the end.
  6. Adjust and serve: Taste the soup and add additional salt, pepper, and a splash of fresh lemon juice to brighten flavors as desired. Serve hot, topped with extra grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of Aleppo flakes or red pepper flakes for some heat.

Notes

  • For a gluten-free option, substitute regular panko with gluten-free bread crumbs and choose a gluten-free small pasta alternative or omit pasta.
  • You can prepare the meatballs a day ahead and refrigerate or freeze them to save time.
  • Low-sodium chicken broth is recommended to control the saltiness of the soup.
  • If preferred, meatballs can also be baked in the oven or cooked directly in the simmering broth without searing, but searing adds extra depth of flavor.
  • Substitute kale with escarole, endive, or fresh spinach depending on availability and taste preference.

Keywords: Italian Wedding Soup, meatball soup, Italian soup recipe, kale soup, comfort food soup, healthy soup recipe

Find it online: https://tastybella.com/italian-wedding-soup-recipe/