Sausage and ground beef meatballs combine with pasta, veggies, and a flavor-rich broth in this hearty Italian wedding soup recipe.
Why this recipe works
A steamy pot of Italian wedding soup hits all the right spots, especially when the weather is chilly. This soup is loaded with bite-sized hot Italian sausage and ground beef meatballs, acini di pepe pasta, and spinach plus the classic veggies such as celery, onions, and carrots all mixed into a simple yet comforting broth.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
MEATBALLS – The meatballs are made with a combination of hot Italian sausage and ground beef which lends plenty of flavor and adds a dash of spice. You can substitute with any combo of meat you prefer. All pork meatballs like we use in our Italian sausage tomato orzo soup or all beef meatballs are both great options as well. If you choose to use ground turkey or chicken, I would recommend adding more seasonings as they have less flavor and can be bland otherwise.
PASTA – The small round pasta balls are called acini di pepe, they are similar in size to pearl couscous and soak up the surrounding broth well. You can substitute with orzo, or opt for a small pasta like ditalini instead.
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Place the bread crumbs and milk in a bowl and stir together to allow the bread to absorb the milk for an extra moist breadcrumb.
- Add in the ground beef, sausage, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, eggs, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese. Work together with your hands to combine the meatball ingredients evenly.
- Using a teaspoon or melon baller, form small meatballs and place on a baking sheet. We like a smaller meatball for this recipe so that it is bite-sized in our soup. Roll the mixture in your hands to form a smooth, round ball.
- Coat the bottom of a non-stick skillet with olive oil. Heat over medium. Cook the meatballs, working in batches, to sear on all sides. They do not need to cook through but should develop a nice, golden brown crust (2-3 minutes per batch). Set the meatballs aside.
- Meanwhile, heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot. Add diced celery, onion, and carrots, and cook until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have begun to soften.
- Add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper and saute 1 minute longer.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Taste the broth and add additional salt and/or pepper, if desired.
- Next, add the pasta and meatballs to the soup and simmer over low heat for 10-12 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Stir in the spinach and remove the soup from heat. The spinach will wilt right away.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
No, you can drop the meatballs straight into the soup without being browned first. This will take away some of the flavor and will require an extra few minutes of cook time, but it’s perfectly fine to skip the pan-searing.
Sure, if you would prefer to use frozen meatballs instead of making them yourself then go right ahead.
You can easily prepare and store the Italian wedding soup in the refrigerator a day in advance then warm it up when ready to enjoy.
Yes, you can freeze this soup. Allow the soup to fully cool then transfer it to an air-tight container or large ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can also prepare the meatballs separately, freeze, and toss them into a fresh batch of soup which will help cut down on future prep time.
Store the soup in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or over medium-low heat on the stovetop.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Italian wedding soup with a generous amount of parmesan cheese as garnish. Enjoy with crusty homemade Italian bread for dunking and a leafy dinner salad on the side.
More Soup Recipes
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Italian Wedding Soup
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
Meatballs
- ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- ½ cup milk
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound hot Italian sausage
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil for pan searing
Soup
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup acini di pepe pasta or up to 3/4 cup
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- parmesan cheese for garnish
Things You’ll Need
- Melon baller or teaspoon
Before You Begin
- We made about 42 meatballs – teaspoon size was perfect – about ¾ inch round.
- The meatballs can be dropped straight into the soup without being browned first. This will take away some of the flavor and will require an extra few minutes of cook time, but it’s perfectly fine to skip the pan-searing.
- Acini di pepe is a small pasta, similar in size to pearl couscous. It soaks up a good amount of broth – ½ cup – ¾ cup will leave you with some broth in your soup. You can substitute with other small pasta such as orzo or ditalini if preferred.
- We recommend using standard chicken broth or making your own broth with bouillon/water. Using a low sodium chicken broth will give you a soup that is lacking proper seasoning. When you have enough salt in the broth, all of the other flavors are also enhanced.
- The meatballs are made with a combination of hot Italian sausage and ground beef which lends plenty of flavor and adds a dash of spice. You can substitute with any combo of meat you prefer. If you choose to use ground turkey or chicken, I would recommend adding more seasonings as they have less flavor and can be bland otherwise.
- Greens that might be substituted for the spinach include escarole, kale, or chard. These greens may need to simmer a few minutes to wilt properly as opposed to the spinach which is immediate.
Instructions
- Place the bread crumbs and milk in a bowl and stir together to allow the bread to absorb the milk for an extra moist breadcrumb.
- Add in the ground beef, sausage, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, eggs, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese. Work together with your hands to combine the meatball ingredients evenly.
- Using a teaspoon or melon baller, form small meatballs and place on a baking sheet. We like a smaller meatball for this recipe so that it is bite-sized in our soup. Roll the mixture in your hands to form a smooth, round ball.
- Coat the bottom of a non-stick skillet with olive oil. Heat over medium. Cook the meatballs, working in batches, to sear on all sides. They do not need to cook through, but should develop a nice, golden brown crust (2-3 minutes per batch). Set the meatballs aside.
- Meanwhile, heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot. Add diced celery, onion, and carrots, and cook until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have begun to soften.
- Add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper and saute 1 minute longer.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring mixture to a boil. Taste the broth and add additional salt and/or pepper, if desired.
- Add the pasta and meatballs to the soup and simmer over low heat for 10-12 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Stir in the spinach and remove the soup from heat. The spinach will wilt right away.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store the soup in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or over medium-low heat on the stovetop.
- Freezing – Allow the soup to fully cool then transfer it to an air-tight container or large ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can also prepare the meatballs separately, freeze, and toss them into a fresh batch of soup which will help cut down on future prep time.
Nutrition
Kristen Rittmer
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