Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs, veggies, and the tiniest of pastas come together for this wonderful soup!

Years and years ago, I made Italian Wedding Soup and ate it for the first time because it was my husband’s favorite. I have grown to really enjoy it as well and it has become my oldest’s favorite soup as well. We have basically always made a recipe that uses sausage for the meatballs, ditalini for the pasta, and kale for the leafy green. This one called for a mix of beef and pork but I chose to do turkey because I don’t really like ground pork and full beef didn’t seem right for this soup. I happily did spinach (because no trimming of the kale leaves!) and was excited to utilize acini de pepe which is very small round pasta. Growing up in the midwest, I’ve never had this pasta in a savory dish - only in a Cool Whip based salad with pineapple! This definitely hit the spot and we all really loved it and it may end up being our go-to Italian Wedding Soup recipe!

What You Need:

For the Meatballs:

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey (you can use beef, pork, or a mixture)

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

For the Soup:

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced

• 2 ribs celery, diced

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

• 1/4 tsp. dried dill

• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or sub chicken broth)

• 9 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup acini de pepe pasta (or other small pasta like ditalini or orzo)

• 5 oz. baby spinach, chopped

• Shredded Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

1. For the Meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together all meatball ingredients just until combined.

2. Shape into small meatballs and place a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

4. For the Soup: Add oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat.

5. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 6 minutes or until softened.

6. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Then season with pepper and dill.

7. Add wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bits off the bottom.

8. Add chicken broth and then increase heat to bring to a boil.

9. Add pasta and meatballs and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.

10. In the final minute of cooking, add spinach to let it wilt.

11. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with Parmesan.

Recipe slightly adapted from Spend with Pennies