Italian Wedding Soup

This recipe guides you in making classic Italian Wedding Soup, featuring tender beef and pork meatballs simmered in a rich chicken broth with vegetables, small pasta, and fresh escarole. It's a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for a warm meal.

Print Recipe

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Course lunch/dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 people

Calories 1876.7 kcal

Equipment

1 Food Processor For finely grinding meatball base ingredients.
1 Dutch Oven or Large Pot For cooking the soup and browning meatballs.
1 Rimmed Baking Sheet Lined with parchment or foil for holding meatballs.
1 Large Spoon or Ladle For stirring and serving.

Ingredients

Main

1 slice white bread torn into pieces
1 clove garlic
1/4 medium onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 large egg
8 ounces ground beef 80 percent lean
8 ounces ground pork
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium carrot chopped
1 celery rib chopped
3/4 medium onion chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1 Parmesan rind optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup acini pepe pasta or Israeli couscous
4 cups chopped escarole about 1 head
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Extra-virgin olive oil for serving
Grated Parmesan for serving

Instructions

For the meatballs: Put the bread, garlic, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a food processor and pulse until very finely ground. Add the parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Add the egg and pulse until combined. Add the beef, pork and Parmesan and pulse until very well mixed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs, transferring them to the prepared baking sheet.
For the soup: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large, wide pot over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, stirring gently occasionally, until browned on most sides and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the meatballs to the baking sheet (they will cook again so don't worry about contamination). Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Add the carrot, celery and onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, Parmesan rind if using, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and bring to a brisk simmer. Add the pasta or couscous and cook according to the package instructions for al dente.
Add the escarole and meatballs to the soup and return to a simmer. Simmer until the escarole is slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind and discard. Sprinkle with the parsley and top with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Serve with more Parmesan on the side.

Notes

Ensure the food processor ingredients for the meatballs are pulsed until very fine, but don't overwork the meat mixture once added. Brown the meatballs in batches to prevent crowding the pot, which would steam them instead of searing. They don't need to be cooked through at this stage. The Parmesan rind adds a fantastic depth of flavor to the broth; don't skip if you have one. Add the escarole right at the end to allow it to wilt just slightly, maintaining its vibrant green color and texture. Finishing with a drizzle of good quality extra-virgin olive oil elevates the final dish.