Italian Wedding Soup

This is great hearty soup. There are a few extra steps that go into making the meatballs, but definitely worth it.

Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

  • 1 large egg
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • ½ cup Italian bread crumbs or panko
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Olive oil, for forming the meatballs

For the soup:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 3 medium carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 2 to 3large celery ribs, diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 8 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
  • ½ cup acini di pepe, ditalini or orzo
  • 3 cups packed baby spinach
  • Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions:

  1. Make the meatballs: Crack the egg into a large bowl and beat it lightly with a fork. Add the beef, pork, bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly, until incorporated. Coat your hands with olive oil, then form small meatballs using 1 heaping teaspoon of the mixture per meatball; transfer to a plate or sheet pan. You should have about 80 (1-inch) meatballs.
  2. Make the soup: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in 2 batches, turning occasionally, until mostly browned all over, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
  3. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt (or 2 teaspoons if you’re using low-sodium broth) and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Return the meatballs to the pot, add the broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the pasta, lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
  5. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach until wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. (The broth should taste pleasantly salty.) Serve hot, topped with Parmesan. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as the soup sits; you may need to add broth when reheating. Soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer (see Tip).

Notes: