Description
Italian Wedding Soup is a comforting and flavorful soup featuring tender homemade meatballs simmered in a savory chicken broth with tender vegetables, small pasta, and fresh kale. This classic Italian-American dish is hearty yet light, perfect for family meals or cozy dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups kale, chopped and stems removed
- 1/2 cup acini di pepe pasta (or substitute with orzo or other small pasta)
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatballs: Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, panko bread crumbs, minced garlic, grated Parmesan, egg, dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Gently mix with your hands until all ingredients are well incorporated but do not overmix.
- Shape and Bake Meatballs: Using a teaspoon, drop 1-inch portions of the mixture onto the prepared sheet pan. Roll each portion gently into a ball. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: While the meatballs are baking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, celery, minced garlic, and a pinch of kosher salt. Sauté the vegetables for 6 to 8 minutes until they soften and begin to turn golden in color.
- Simmer the Soup: Pour in 8 cups of chicken stock and increase the heat to bring the broth to a boil. Add the acini di pepe pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until pasta is tender but still al dente.
- Add Kale and Meatballs: Stir in the chopped kale and cook for an additional 2 minutes until wilted. Then add the baked meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 more minute to heat through.
- Season and Serve: Taste the soup and add additional kosher salt and black pepper if needed, especially if your chicken stock is low or no sodium. Serve the soup hot, garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute panko bread crumbs with gluten-free bread crumbs and use gluten-free pasta.
- You can substitute kale with spinach or escarole if preferred.
- If you don’t have acini di pepe pasta, small pasta like orzo or pastina works well as a substitute.
- Leftover meatballs can be frozen and added to soup later or served with pasta.
- Adjust seasoning carefully if using low-sodium chicken stock to ensure proper flavor balance.
