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Say hello to your new favorite soup! Our Italian Wedding Soup recipe is chock full of flavor from scrumptious meatballs and a spinach, Parmesan, and egg mixture you are going to love.
You will not believe the taste of this Italian soup recipe. Just one bite and you will have to ask yourself if you’re dreaming! It is that delicious. I even love to serve it at brunch.
The chicken broth develops so much flavor from garlic and onions, and all of that flavor seeps into the juicy meatballs and orzo pasta. Your family will practically beg you to make this Italian Wedding Soup again!
Make it easily on the stove or in your Instant Pot. We include instructions for both!
Best Ever Italian Meatball Soup
A big bowl of hearty soup never fails to bring smiles to my family’s faces around the dinner table. It’s the kind of reaction you only get when you know you’re serving up something really special. Do you know what I mean?
I know that when I dish out one of my favorite soup recipes, like my famous Shrimp Bisque or this Italian Meatball Soup, I’ll get to watch their faces light up with every bite.
Seeing their reactions is enough of a reward on its own, but this soup? Let me tell you, it is the best Italian Wedding Soup you will ever eat. There is so much flavor packed into each spoonful!
I know you’re going to love this soup. But before you take a bite, make sure you watch your family’s reaction first. I guarantee there will be smiles across the board!
What is in Italian wedding soup?
- 30 pre-cooked meatballs
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small onion or half of a large onion, diced
- 1 12 ounce pack of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 32 ounce containers chicken broth
- 1 cup orzo pasta or acini di pepe
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the meatballs, try my fantastic Air Fryer Meatballs recipe! I include instructions for making the most crispy, juicy meatballs in the air fryer or in your oven. These are the juiciest meatballs ever, with so much flavor.
For the pasta, I use orzo, but typically, this Italian meatball soup uses acini di pepe. You can use orzo or acini di pepe to make this recipe.
What is orzo pasta?
Orzo is a small pasta resembling grains, which is where it gets its name – the Italian word for “barley” is orzo! It is shaped like rice and holds up well to soups, broths, and pasta salads (like our lemon orzo pasta salad).
I love orzo with Italian Wedding Soup as I find it complements the meatballs and broth very well.
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup
- Add ¼ cup olive oil to a deep soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil heats, add 1 small diced onion (or half of a large onion, diced) and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
- After 2-3 minutes pass, add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in 3 32 ounce containers of chicken broth. Cover, and let it come to a boil.
- Squeeze out the water from 1 thawed 12 ounce pack of frozen chopped spinach. You can do this easily by placing the spinach in a colander over an empty bowl and pressing down on the spinach until the water squeezes out.
- Add the spinach to a bowl with 4 eggs and beat together until fully combined.
Then, add in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and thoroughly stir until mixed through. - After the broth comes to a boil, drop in small fork-fulls of the spinach egg mixture into the pot one at a time until all of it has been added.
- Give the pot a gentle stir.
Then add in 1 cup orzo pasta and cover with a lid. Lower the heat to medium and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. - Once the pasta and egg mixture cooks, add in 30 cooked meatballs. Stir to mix together.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve, and enjoy!
There you have it! This is a perfect Italian wedding soup you can make in just about 30 minutes. It’s so easy and incredibly flavorful. You and your family are going to love this classic Italian meatball soup recipe!
Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup
You can make Italian wedding soup in the Instant Pot, too! Follow the below instructions to cook it in the pressure cooker instead of on the stove.
Instapot Italian Wedding Soup is just as flavorful and delicious as the stovetop version, but takes less time.
- Set your Instant Pot to the saute function. Once it heats up, add ¼ cup olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add in 1 diced small onion or half of a large onion, diced. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes while stirring.
- Pour in 3 32 ounce containers chicken broth. Stir. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and set it aside for 5-10 minutes until it comes to a boil.
- Squeeze out all of the water from 1 thawed 12 ounce package frozen chopped spinach. You can do this by pressing the water out through a colander over a bowl.
- Add the spinach to a bowl with 4 eggs and mix it all together thoroughly.
Once mixed, add in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and stir to mix together. - The broth in the Instant Pot should be boiling. Drop in small forkfuls of the spinach egg mixture, one at a time, until you use up all of the mixture.
- Give the pot a gentle stir. Then, add in 1 cup orzo pasta. Cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes.
- Carefully release the pressure, then stir. Add in 30 cooked meatballs.
- Season with salt and pepper, serve, and enjoy!
Follow along with our pressure cooker instructions on Pinterest: Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup 📌!
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe Tips
- Orzo pasta is the best pasta for Italian Wedding Soup. It’s the perfect size to get big spoonfuls of flavor in every bite. The texture pairs perfectly with the meatballs.
- Make your meatballs small! Small meatballs work best for Italian meatball soup.
What to Serve with Italian Wedding Soup
Serve this delicious meatball soup recipe with a side of fresh Instant Pot French Bread. This crusty bread recipe is perfect for dipping into soup and sopping up all of that tasty broth.
It’s a great holiday recipe, so I love it with my Best Turkey Recipes and a side of Orange Cranberry Sauce.
Roast vegetables, such as foil pack potatoes or smashed brussels sprouts, pair deliciously with this soup, too!
Other Easy Italian Food Ideas to Try
- Meatball Sauce Recipe
- Slow Cooker Lasagna Recipe
- Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
I just know you and your family are going to love this traditional Italian recipe, whether you’re making Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup or preparing it on the stove. It is so delicious and one of my favorite soup recipes to make!
Soup Recipes
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Shrimp Bisque
- Instant Pot Pho
- See more of my Easy Soup Recipes!
And please let me know what you think of the recipe below with a comment and rating! I love to hear from you! Which version do you make? Instant Pot or stovetop?
Save the Video Pin 📌
📋 Recipe
Best Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 30 meatballs cooked
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small onion or half of a large onion, diced
- 12 ounce chopped spinach frozen and thawed
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced, or garlic paste
- 3 32 ounce chicken broth containers
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- salt and pepper to taste
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Add ¼ cup olive oil to a deep soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil heats, add 1 small diced onion (or half of a large onion, diced) and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
- After 2-3 minutes pass, add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in 3 32 ounce containers of chicken broth. Cover, and let it come to a boil.
- Squeeze out the water from 1 thawed 12 ounce pack of frozen chopped spinach. You can do this easily by placing the spinach in a colander over an empty bowl and pressing down on the spinach until the water squeezes out.
- Add the spinach to a bowl with 4 eggs and beat together until fully combined.
- Then, add in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and thoroughly stir until mixed through.
- After the broth comes to a boil, drop in small fork-fulls of the spinach egg mixture into the pot one at a time until all of it has been added.
- Give the pot a gentle stir. Then add in 1 cup orzo pasta and cover with a lid. Lower the heat to medium and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Once the pasta and egg mixture cooks, add in 30 cooked meatballs. Stir to mix together.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve, and enjoy!
Instant Pot Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to the saute function. Once it heats up, add ¼ cup olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add in 1 diced small onion or half of a large onion, diced. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes while stirring.
- Pour in 3 32 ounce containers chicken broth. Stir. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and set it aside for 5-10 minutes until it comes to a boil.
- Squeeze out all of the water from 1 thawed 12 ounce package frozen chopped spinach. You can do this by pressing the water out through a colander over a bowl.
- Add the spinach to a bowl with 4 eggs and mix it all together thoroughly. Once mixed, add in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and stir to mix together.
- The broth in the Instant Pot should be boiling. Drop in small forkfuls of the spinach egg mixture, one at a time, until you use up all of the mixture.
- Give the pot a gentle stir. Then, add in 1 cup orzo pasta. Cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes.
- Carefully release the pressure, then stir. Add in 30 cooked meatballs.
- Season with salt and pepper, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Orzo pasta is the best pasta for Italian Wedding Soup. It’s the perfect size to get big spoonfuls of flavor in every bite. The texture pairs perfectly with the meatballs.
- Make your meatballs small! Small meatballs work best for Italian meatball soup.
Ellen says
Such a comforting soup recipe. Perfect lunch or dinner on chilly days.
Liz @ Books n' Cooks says
Beautiful photos with this recipe. My mom makes me wedding soup and it’s such a comfort food. You’re looks so elegant!
Barbara L Belt says
My favorite color is blue. Love what I see on the picture. Can hardly wait to see the renovation. Have fun stay healthy and God Bless you and your family this Christmas season. Jesus is the reason.
Isabel Laessig says
Thank you so much Barbara! Merry Christmas to you!