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My classic Italian Wedding Soup recipe takes under an hour to make from prep to plating, and the flavor is fantastic. Using just a handful of simple ingredients (less than 10!), you can make the best Italian wedding soup you will ever try!
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Italian Wedding Meatball Soup
I have perfected my Italian wedding soup recipe over the years, and can honestly tell you from experience that it is the best wedding soup you will ever try. My family loves this soup, and frankly, I'm obsessed with it! Not only is it easy to make in under an hour on the stove, but it uses less than 10 simple ingredients all in one pot.
Quick cook time, easy ingredients, great taste, minimal cleanup. And it freezes well for meal prep! What could be better?
Wedding Soup Ingredients
- Meatballs: I prefer to make my meatballs ahead of time using my recipe for Italian meatballs or my air fryer meatballs (so easy). You will need roughly 30 small meatballs. You want them to be small so they complement the texture of the soup and are easy to eat. You can use pre-packaged meatballs if you prefer or are pressed for time.
Typically, I'll make a batch of Ron's favorite Sunday Sauce with meatballs earlier in the week, and store the meatballs separately from the sauce. Then I use the leftover meatballs to make this soup.
- Ground Beef: I'm using 80/20 ground chuck for the meatballs. These are purely beef meatballs. You won't need any other ground meats, but feel free to use another kind if you prefer. Just know that it will alter the taste!
- Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs: For the meatballs. I like to get the seasoned variety. It adds so much flavor to the meatballs!
- Garlic Powder: To add a garlicky flavor to the meatballs.
- Olive Oil: You can use extra virgin olive oil or light olive oil. Avocado oil works too, but olive oil complements the flavor better.
- Onion: I'm using one small yellow onion. You can use a white onion too. If the onion is on the larger side, just use half of it. You want to very finely dice the onion so it doesn't overpower the soup. I use a food processor for this purpose.
- Celery: As with the onion, you want the celery to be diced finely.
- Carrots: Finely dice the celery, too! That way, you'll taste it in every spoonful.
- Chopped Spinach: I use frozen spinach and thaw it for this recipe. I find it's the easiest way to make this soup, even though traditionally you would use escarole.
- Parmesan Cheese: I highly recommend buying a block of parmesan and grating it yourself for the best flavor and texture. This is used in both the meatballs and the spinach mixture.
- Eggs: As always, farm fresh, cage-free, or pasture-raised eggs work best. It does make a difference, especially with how prominent eggs are in Italian meatball soup!
- Chicken Broth: If I have it on hand, I love to use my homemade bone broth for this recipe. It tastes incredible, and you can easily make it by roasting your own chicken.
- Pasta: The best pastas to use for wedding soup is acini di pepe, but I use orzo when I can't find that. Choose your favorite! Small pasta varieties like this work best.
- Salt and Pepper: Simple sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper are all you need for seasoning.
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup
Making the Meatballs
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Spray a 9 by 13-inch sheet pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, add ground beef, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until everything is well-combined.
Step 2: Use your hands to mix and massage the ground beef and ensure everything is combined well.
Step 3: Begin rolling your meatballs from the ground beef mixture. They should be as small as possible! Be careful not to make your meatballs too large, or they won't work well for the soup.
Step 4: Add the meatballs to your sheet pan as you roll them. Once they're all rolled and ready to go, pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Step 5: Once they're ready, remove the meatballs from the oven and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wondering why I season after baking the meatballs and not before? See my recipe tips below!
Preparing the Spinach Mixture
Step 6: In another large bowl, add thawed spinach, beaten eggs, and Parmesan cheese. Mix together very well.
Sauteing the Vegetables
Step 7: Add half of your olive oil to a deep soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the finely diced onion and cook 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
Step 8: Toss in celery and carrots. Pour in the remaining olive oil and saute for a few minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
Making Italian Wedding Soup
Step 9: Turn the heat on your stove to almost high. Pour in your chicken broth and allow it to reach a slow boil. You don't want too big of a boil. This will take just a few minutes.
Step 10: Once it reaches a slow boil, drop in small forkfuls of your spinach and egg mixture. Do this one forkful at a time until all of the mixture has been added. If you try to add it all at once it won't distribute evenly.
Step 11: After a few minutes, the top of your soup should start looking frothy. Give it a gentle stir, then add in your pasta. Lower the heat to medium and allow the soup to simmer 5-10 minutes. Give it a stir. After 5-10 minutes, add in the meatballs.
Final Step: Mix everything together. Serve in bowls with additional Parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy!
Watch the Video
Try these Meatball Recipes
Expert Tips
- You might be wondering why I don't include salt and pepper in the meat mixture. There is already salt in the Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, so it's not necessary to add it while mixing. Instead, layer it on after cooking to bring out the taste naturally in the food. Meat absorbs flavor best when it's hot, so add the seasoning right after pulling them out of the oven.
- The most labor intensive part of this recipe is rolling those cute, tiny meatballs, but it's so worth it. I typically make a double batch and freeze half to have on hand later. They make great appetizer meatballs too!
- I love cooking my meatballs in the oven instead of on the stove. This is a super easy way to prepare a batch of meatballs, and trust me, they won't dry out. They always turn out amazing!
- If you can find acini di pepe, definitely give it a try. There is nothing like those little round pasta balls in your Italian wedding soup. But, if you can't find it, you can use orzo. That's my preference when I'm not able to get acini di pepe because I am not a believer in going to 10 different stores to look for ingredients!
- Another thing I substitute to make it as easy for all of you, and me, is frozen spinach. I know the traditional Italian wedding soup uses escarole, but frozen spinach works just as well and tastes amazing! And, it's so easy!
- When it comes to chopping onions very finely, I love to use a food processor! You don't want to bite into chunks of onion in the soup, so using a food processor is a game-changer.
- If you are trying to cut back on salt you can use a reduced sodium chicken broth, or you can use homemade chicken broth!
- You do not need to pre-cook the acini di pepe! I like to start off by adding only 1 cup of pasta because once it's in the pot it will continue to grow and expand, and I don't want it to take over the soup. You can always add in more at a later point.
Storing Italian Wedding Soup
Store leftover Italian wedding soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing Italian Wedding Soup
You can easily freeze Italian Wedding Soup. Prepare it without the pasta if you intend to freeze it! Allow it to cool first, then add it to an airtight freezer-safe container or sturdy freezer bags. Make sure there's room left at the top of the container to account for liquid expansion. Label the container with the date, then store for up to 3-4 months.
Reheating Italian Wedding Soup
Allow frozen Italian wedding soup to thaw before reheating. For soup stored in the refrigerator, I recommend reheating slowly on the stove, but you can also use your microwave to reheat. Add a paper towel or other splash guard over the top of the bowl when microwaving to avoid any spattering soup.
FAQ
You can, but I recommend using frozen spinach that you've thawed. It's easier to mix with the eggs and make a classic Italian wedding soup mixture. If you're using fresh spinach, you may want to stir it in at the end of the cooking process instead.
Traditionally, Italian wedding soup was made using greens such as cabbage rather than pasta. Wedding soup refers to the perfect marriage of ingredients in the soup.
Wedding Soup
I know you'll love my Italian wedding soup recipe as much as my family and I do! Give it a try, then leave a comment and rating below. I would love to know what you serve with your wedding soup!
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs ground beef
- 6 eggs - divided (2 for the meatballs, and 4 for the spinach mixture, beaten separately)
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ cup parmesan cheese - grated (½ cup for meatballs, 1 cup for spinach mixture)
- 8 ounces chopped spinach - frozen and thawed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small onion - very finely minced (or half of a large onion)
- 2 celery stalks - finely chopped
- 2 carrots - finely chopped
- 16 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup orzo pasta - or acini di pepe if you can find it
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Mix and Bake the Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Spray a 9 by 13-inch sheet pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, add ground beef, 2 beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Mix until everything is well-combined.1½ lbs ground beef,6 eggs,1 teaspoon garlic powder,1½ cup parmesan cheese,1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Roll the meatballs by taking pieces from the ground beef mixture and rolling them in your palms. These should be small meatballs - don't make them too big, or they won't work well for the soup!
- Line the meatballs on your prepared sheet pan. Once all of the meatballs are rolled and on the pan, add them to the oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove meatballs from the oven once prepared. Sprinkle them with salt and black pepper to season.
Create Spinach Mixture
- In a clean large bowl, add thawed spinach, 4 beaten eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix together well to combine.6 eggs,1½ cup parmesan cheese,8 ounces chopped spinach
Saute the Vegetables
- Add half of your olive oil to a deep soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat on the stove. Once the oil is hot, add your finely diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are golden brown.¼ cup olive oil,1 small onion
- Toss in celery and carrots. Pour in the remaining olive oil and saute the vegetables for a few minutes, then season with salt and pepper.2 celery stalks,2 carrots,salt and pepper to taste
Add in Broth and Spinach
- Turn the heat on your stove almost to high, then pour in your chicken broth. Allow the mixture to reach a slow boil. This will take a few minutes.16 cups chicken broth
- Once you have a slow boil going, drop in small forkfuls of the spinach egg mixture into the pot one at a time until all of the mixture has been added.
- After a few minutes, the top of your soup should look frothy. Give it a gentle stir, then add in your pasta. Lower the heat to medium. Allow the soup to simmer for 5-10 minutes and give it a good stir!1 cup orzo pasta
Serve and Enjoy
- Add the cooked meatballs after simmering. Stir to mix together, then serve. Spoon into bowls, top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- Season the meatballs after cooking, not while mixing. Parmesan and breadcrumbs already contain salt, so it isn't necessary. Adding a layer after cooking is best for bringing out the flavor. Season them immediately after they're out of the oven, because seasoning works best when the meat is still hot.
- Make sure to roll small meatballs. The meatballs should not be too big or they won't work well for the soup.
- I recommend making extra meatballs. I like to make a double-batch and freeze half so that I have them ready for the next time I make this soup. They're also the perfect size for appetizer meatballs for a party!
- Cooking your meatballs in the oven is easier than making them on the stove. You can make a big batch all at once effortlessly, and they taste great. You don't have to worry about these meatballs drying out.
- If you can find acini di pepe, I recommend it. But, if you can't find it, orzo works great, too.
- Using frozen spinach makes this an even easier recipe to prepare. Traditional Italian wedding soup uses escarole, but trust me, frozen spinach works just as well and tastes delicious.
- To chop onions finely, I recommend using a food processor. It makes it so much easier to chop up onions. Plus, you avoid the onion tears!
- If you're trying to cut back on salt, you can use reduced sodium chicken broth or even homemade broth.
- You don't need to pre-cook the pasta. I start off by adding only one cup because once it's in the pot, it will continue to grow and expand. You don't want to overpower the broth with too much pasta, and you can always add more later if it isn't enough for you.
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