Italian Wedding Soup
Made with tender, juicy meatballs, pasta, veggies, and pesto-infused broth, this Italian wedding soup recipe is easy to make, comforting, and so full of great flavors.
Servings 6
Calories 567kcal
Ingredients
- For the meatballs
- 1 large egg
- ½ pound ground beef 80/20
- ½ pound ground pork
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs or Panko
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- For the soup
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 small onion)
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
- ¼ cup fresh pesto homemade or store-bought
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 3 cups packed fresh spinach leaves
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix well with wet hands (they’re your best tool!).
- Use a tablespoon to portion out the meatball mixture, wet your hands again, and form into balls, arranging them in an even layer on the sheet pan. You should have 20-25 balls. Bake the meatballs until cooked through and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the oven and set aside while you make the soup.
- Make the Soup
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, celery, carrots, and salt, and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.
- Stir in the chicken stock and increase the heat to medium-high, bringing to a rolling simmer. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes or so. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the pesto, Parmesan cheese, meatballs, and spinach. Cook just until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice then taste and add more salt if desired. To serve, top with freshly grated Parmesan.
Notes
Over time the pasta will absorb a good deal of the broth, so if you have leftovers, you’ll likely want to add some more chicken stock and/or water. Alternatively, you can always cook your pasta separately and just scoop some out to add to your soup whenever you’re serving.
If you’d like more greens, feel free to add another cup or two of spinach.