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Italian Wedding Soup Recipe Easy Cozy Dinner with Juicy Meatballs

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This Italian Wedding Soup features juicy, pan-seared meatballs, tender vegetables, tiny pasta pearls, and nourishing greens in a savory chicken broth. It’s a comforting, crowd-pleasing soup that’s quick to make and perfect for cozy dinners or family gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 oz ground pork
  • 8 oz ground beef
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs (plain or Italian seasoned)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (for browning meatballs)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup acini di pepe pasta (or orzo/pastina)
  • 5 oz baby spinach (or chopped kale)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Parmesan rind (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine ground pork, ground beef, parsley, parmesan, egg, garlic, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined.
  2. Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs (about 30 total) using a cookie scoop or tablespoon.
  3. Optional: Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Brown meatballs in batches, turning to brown all sides (about 5 minutes per batch). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
  4. In a large soup pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté over medium heat until softened (6-8 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Pour in chicken broth and add parmesan rind if using. Bring to a gentle boil.
  6. Carefully drop browned (or raw) meatballs into the simmering broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through.
  7. Stir in acini di pepe pasta and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until pasta is al dente.
  8. Add baby spinach (or kale) and simmer for 2 minutes until wilted. Stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove parmesan rind.
  9. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra parmesan and parsley if desired.

Notes

For gluten-free, use GF bread crumbs and pasta. For dairy-free, substitute nutritional yeast for parmesan. Browning meatballs adds flavor but can be skipped for speed. Add a parmesan rind to the broth for extra richness. Shape meatballs while veggies sauté to save time. Soup tastes even better the next day; add extra broth if pasta absorbs too much liquid.

Nutrition

Keywords: Italian wedding soup, meatballs, cozy dinner, comfort food, easy soup, family recipe, acini di pepe, spinach, chicken broth, weeknight dinner

Find it online: https://norasfoods.com/italian-wedding-soup-recipe-easy-cozy-dinner-with-juicy-meatballs/