Italian Wedding Soup

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

A beloved Italian-American classic that has been a favorite for generations. This Italian Wedding Soup recipe features succulent meatballs, tiny pasta, fresh greens and cheese and is sure to become a favorite!

Served at every Italian-American wedding across the nation, Italian Wedding Soup is something no self-respecting Italian-American couple would ever think of getting married without it.

Okay, that’s not true.  In fact, this soup has absolutely nothing to do with weddings.

But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s superbly delicious.  Nor should you let it stop you from serving it at your wedding should you feel so inclined. So then why the name “Italian Wedding Soup”?

Where Did Italian Wedding Soup Originate?

The term “wedding” soup comes from the Italian minestra maritata, “married soup”, referring to the flavor produced by the “marriage” or perfect blending of greens, broth and meat.

This soup enjoys a long, rich heritage, though very different from the Italian Wedding Soup we know today.  Its origin isn’t clear but it’s thought to date back to ancient Rome and then made its way to Toledo Spain, a gorgeous city we visited last Summer (image below).  The soup’s Spanish ancestor was a heavier one, incorporating a variety of meats that were slow-simmered with vegetables and without the addition of pasta (an expensive commodity at that time).

From Spain the soup was introduced to Naples, Italy (second image below) where they too used any combination of meats such as beef, pork, ribs, sausages and ham hocks to create a rich meat broth  The Neapolitans made it their own with the addition of ancient greens like torzella, escarole, puntarelle, chicory and savoy cabbage.   Just as it was in Spain, the minestra maritata was a peasant soup using whatever leftover meats and wild greens they had on hand.

The soup eventually made its way from Naples to America via Italian immigrants who replaced the long-simmered cuts of meat with meatballs and used onions, generally one type of leafy green vegetable and added pasta.  And it came to be called “Italian Wedding Soup.”

The earliest known reference to “wedding soup” in American print is an article in the Los Angeles Times from 1925 written by Joseph Musso of Hollywood’s oldest restaurant, The Musso & Frank Grill, wherein he described the process of making Wedding Soup.  It has since remained perhaps the most iconic Italian-American soup and can be found in nearly every Italian restaurant across the nation.

This soup’s Italian and Spanish ancestors used the process of low- and slow-simmering meats to achieve a great broth as the base of their soups.  In this Italian-American version of using meatballs that step isn’t possible.  You would have to make a separate batch of broth using whole bone-in chicken and vegetables.  And so to make this Italian Meatball Soup I recommend using either homemade chicken broth or a quality store-bought chicken broth.

Once you’ve tried this soup you’ll be hooked.  It’s so flavorful, comforting and wonderfully nourishing.  You can make the meatballs far in advance and freeze them so you can conveniently have them on hand when the soup craving hits you.  With the meatballs already made the rest of the soup only takes 15 minutes to make!

Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Let’s get started!

Place all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl or food processor and knead with your hands or pulse with the food processor until thoroughly combined.

Form the mixture into tiny meatballs, about 1/2 inch in diameter and place them on a platter or cookie sheet.  Wrap them with plastic wrap and refrigerate them until ready to use.

In a medium stock pot, heat the oil and cook the onions and garlic until translucent, 4-5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil.

Gently drop the meatballs into the soup.

Add the pasta.

Let the meatballs and pasta simmer for about 10 minutes.

Which Pasta is Best for Italian Wedding Soup?

Any tiny pasta will work but one of the most popular pastas for Italian Wedding Soup is Acini di Pepe.

Next add the chopped leafy greens.  Let them simmer for about 3-4 minutes or until wilted.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Dish up the soup.

Sprinkle each serving with grated Parmesan cheese and some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat (optional).

Enjoy!

For more delicious soups around the world try my:

• Minestrone Soup
• Curried Lentil Soup
• Caldo Verde
• Zuppa Toscana
• Ham and Bean Soup
• Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup
• Harira
• Solyanka
• Zurek
• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• New England Clam Chowder
• German Potato Soup
• French Lentil Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

By Kimberly Killebrew

This classic Italian-American soup features succulent meatballs, tiny pasta, fresh greens and cheese is sure to become a favorite!

4.99 from 133 votes

Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• For the Meatballs:
• 1 pound ground meat beef, pork, chicken or turkey or a combination of them combined with some sausage
• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs preferably fresh
• 1 large egg
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• For the Soup:
• 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 8 cups quality chicken broth (I use and love ANETO)
• 1 cup acini di pepe or other tiny pasta
• 1 large bunch leafy greens roughly chopped (e.g., kale, escarole, curly endive, spinach)
• Freshly grated Parmesan for serving
• Red pepper flakes for serving optional

Instructions

 

• Place all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl or food processor and knead with your hands or pulse with the food processor until thoroughly combined. Form the mixture into tiny meatballs, about 1/2 inch in diameter and place them on a platter or cookie sheet. Wrap them with plastic wrap and refrigerate them until ready to use.
• In a medium stock pot, heat the oil and cook the onions and garlic until translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Gently drop the meatballs into the soup followed by the pasta. Let the meatballs and pasta simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the leafy greens and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Dish up the soup and serve sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
• Optional (a tradition in some circles): At very end, once the greens are wilted, whisk 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese together with 1 large egg. Stir the broth to get it moving and gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the broth, stirring it gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg.

Notes

*The meatballs can be made a day in advance as a time-saver and kept refrigerated.
*The longer the soup sits the more liquid the pasta will absorb, so if eating leftovers add more chicken broth.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 24gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 646mgPotassium: 603mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1235IUVitamin C: 16.4mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 3mg

Course Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

SaveSaved!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

First published on The Daring Gourmet on Jan 16, 2017

Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

Read more about me...