Description
A comforting bowl of Italian Wedding Soup featuring juicy meatballs, wholesome vegetables, and acini di pepe pasta in a savory broth.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups chopped carrots
- 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 5 (14.5-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dry acini di pepe pasta (or orzo)
- 6 ounces fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Finely shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the lean ground beef, ground pork, fresh white bread crumbs, chopped fresh parsley, minced fresh oregano, shredded Parmesan cheese, and large egg. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Roll the meat mixture into small, bite-sized meatballs, about 1-inch in diameter. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Carefully add the meatballs in batches, browning them on all sides. You don’t need to cook them through at this stage, just achieve a nice sear. Remove the browned meatballs and set aside.
- In the same pot with any remaining drippings, add the chopped carrots, yellow onion, and celery. Sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer.
- Add the dry acini di pepe (or orzo) pasta to the simmering broth. Return the browned meatballs to the pot. Continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes, or according to pasta package directions, until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Stir in the roughly chopped fresh baby spinach during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, until it wilts. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish generously with additional finely shredded Parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: Italian Wedding Soup, Soup, Comfort Food