Easy Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Homemade Meatballs
This easy Italian wedding soup pairs tender homemade meatballs with tiny pasta, leafy greens, and a light chicken broth for a healthy, family-friendly bowl of comfort.
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If you’re after an easy Italian wedding soup recipe that tastes like it simmered all afternoon, this is the one I make on repeat. Tender homemade meatballs, tiny pasta, and leafy greens come together in a light chicken broth for a bowl that’s hearty without feeling heavy. Most of the time is hands-off, dinner lands on the table in under an hour, and it reheats beautifully for lunches all week.
Why I love this Italian Wedding Soup
This is the soup I reach for on busy weeknights when everyone comes home hungry at different times. It holds beautifully on the stove, and the mini meatballs win over even the pickiest eater at my table. I love that it feels special enough for company but comes together in one pot with everyday ingredients. Leftovers make a warm, filling lunch the next day, and a batch tucked in the freezer has saved dinner at my house more than once.
What makes this Italian Wedding Soup healthy?
This healthy Italian wedding soup covers a lot of nutritional bases in one bowl. The meatballs bring protein to keep you full through the afternoon, and the onion, carrots, and celery add fiber plus vitamins A and C. Leafy greens like escarole and spinach contribute iron, folate, and vitamin K, and the light chicken broth keeps everything satisfying without a heavy cream base. Compared to creamy soups, a brothy soup with mini meatballs delivers all the comfort food flavor with a lighter calorie load, making it an easy weeknight soup recipe you can feel good about serving your family.
RELATED: Italian Pasta Fagioli Soup – another Italian classic that simmers beans, pasta, and tomatoes into a hearty one-pot dinner that tastes like it took far more effort than it did.
Ingredients for Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
- Ground pork and beef mix – the half-and-half combo keeps the meatballs tender and full of flavor.
- Plain breadcrumbs – they bind the meatballs and keep them soft instead of dense.
- Parmesan cheese – adds salty, nutty depth to the meatballs, with extra for serving at the table.
- Egg – holds the meatball mixture together so the little meatballs stay intact in the broth.
- Garlic – goes into both the meatballs and the soup base for double the flavor.
- Italian seasoning – one spoonful covers all the classic herbs in a single scoop.
- Olive oil – for softening the vegetables at the start.
- Onion, carrots, and celery – the classic trio that builds the flavor base of the soup.
- Chicken broth – a light, savory backbone; pick low-sodium if you like to control the salt yourself.
- Acini di pepe or orzo – tiny pasta shapes that catch a bit of broth in every spoonful.
- Escarole or spinach – the leafy greens that give wedding soup its famous “marriage” with the meat.
- Salt and pepper – season the finished pot to taste.
Step-by-step instructions for making Italian Wedding Soup
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork and beef mix, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix gently and roll into small 1-inch meatballs; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Stir in garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Add the pasta and simmer 5 minutes.
- Carefully drop in the meatballs and continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta is tender.
- Stir in the escarole or spinach and simmer 2-3 minutes until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan. Enjoy warm.
Make this Italian Wedding Soup, then check out my Italian Pasta Fagioli Soup, my Easy Italian Minestrone Soup or more of my Easy Soup Ideas.
TIPS AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about this Italian Wedding Soup
Read on for tips and substitution ideas and how to customize this soup.
Why is it called Italian wedding soup?
The name comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata, or married soup. It refers to the way the flavors of the meat and greens marry together in the pot rather than to an actual wedding dish. The happy couple here is the mini meatballs and the leafy greens.
What can I use instead of acini di pepe?
Orzo, ditalini, pastina, or small shells all work well in this soup. Add them the same way and cook until just tender, checking the package for timing since each shape cooks a little differently.
Should I use escarole or spinach?
Both are traditional and both work beautifully. Escarole brings a gentle, pleasant bitterness and needs a few extra minutes to soften, so add it a little earlier. Spinach wilts almost instantly, making it the quicker weeknight option.
Can I make the meatballs ahead of time?
Yes. Roll the meatballs, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before making the soup. You can freeze uncooked meatballs too – drop them straight into the simmering broth and allow a few extra minutes of cooking time.
How do I store and freeze leftovers?
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. For the freezer, cool the soup completely and freeze up to 3 months. The texture stays best when you freeze the soup without the pasta, then cook a fresh batch of pasta when serving.
Why did my pasta soak up all the broth?
Tiny pasta keeps drinking up broth as the soup sits. When reheating leftovers, add a splash of broth or water to loosen it back up. If you know you want leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl as you serve.
One pot, tender soup with mini meatballs, and a broth you’ll want to sip straight from the ladle – this easy Italian wedding soup recipe is comfort food you can serve any night of the week. Save it to your favorite soups Pinterest board now so it’s waiting for you the next time a chilly evening calls for something warm.
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Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork and beef mix
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 2 carrots (sliced)
- 2 celery stalks (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup acini di pepe or orzo
- 4 cups chopped escarole or spinach
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- additional Parmesan (for serving)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork and beef mix, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix gently and roll into small 1-inch meatballs; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook 5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Add the pasta and simmer 5 minutes.
- Carefully drop in the meatballs. Simmer 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta is tender.
- Stir in the escarole or spinach and simmer 2-3 minutes until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan. Enjoy warm.
Nutrition
Disclosure
Recipes and photos are for your personal enjoyment only — please share the love by linking, not copying!Other Soup recipes to try
- Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup – silky avgolemono broth with tender chicken and a bright lemon finish.
- Easy Italian Minestrone Soup – a vegetarian classic loaded with fiber-rich veggies, beans, and pasta.
- Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup – all the flavors of lasagna in a spoonable dinner with no layering required.
- Beef and Barley Soup with Ground Beef – rich, savory, and the kind of pot that fills the whole kitchen with good smells.
- Creamy Gnocchi Bacon Soup – pillowy gnocchi and smoky bacon in a creamy broth that warms you inside and out.
