Published January 1, 2020.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This super tasty wedding soup recipe is loaded with homemade meatballs, veggies, escarole, and pasta simmered in delicious chicken stock.
It’s that time of year when the soup is the main entrée. Like in my Scotch Broth Soup or my Minestrone, It’s comforting; it’s hearty and perfect for those cold wintery days.
Wedding Soup
Italian wedding soup is an Italian American dish, mush like Chicken Parmigiana or Cioppino, adapted and popularized by Italians who immigrated to America. It consists of:
- Meatballs
- Mirepoix
- Chicken Stock
- Acini di Pepe Pasta
- Escarole
Why Do They Call It Wedding Soup
It originally stems from the Italian word “minestra mariata, which translates to “wedded broths.” Italian Americans adapted it to wedding soup. However, It’s more about marrying flavors in a broth as opposed to being served at weddings in Italy, which it is not.
How to Make Wedding Soup Meatballs
Making meatballs is easy to make. Here’s a quick overview of how to make them:
- Add ground beef, pork, small diced yellow onions, finely minced garlic, parsley, grated parmesan cheese, eggs, and water-soaked and squeezed-out Italian Bread, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
- Mix with your hands until combined and form into small ping-pong-sized balls.
- Place on a sheet tray and bake until browned and cooked through, or pan roast in some oil in a pan and cook through, finish in an oven, or simmer in the soup broth at the end.
Set them aside until it’s time to serve up the soup
This recipe makes quite a few meatballs, which I did on purpose to freeze half the batch.
How to Make the Soup
Once the meatballs are done cooking, the soup is incredibly easy to prepare.
- Add the mirepoix to a large-size pot with some oil on low heat to sweat the vegetables for about 15 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add the chicken stock and simmer on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water and set aside.
- Once everything is done, it is then time to plate up your soup.
Do not brown the vegetables.
How to Serve It
If you plan on serving this soup immediately and finishing it on the same day, I advise you to add everything to the pot and serve it.
If you’re going to be grazing all day for a few days, then plate it like this so that the greens wilt and the pasta doesn’t turn to mush:
- Add some of the soup broth with vegetables to a bowl.
- Place in some escarole (sub with baby spinach if you’d like).
- Add in some cooked acini di pepe.
- Place in some meatballs.
- Grate in Parmesan cheese and serve
Make-Ahead and Reheat
How to Make Ahead: Make the soup and keep the meatballs, broth with vegetables, and acini di pepe separate until the day of serving it.
How to Reheat: Place your desired amount of wedding soup into a small pot and heat over low heat until hot. You can also heat it in a microwave until hot.
How to Store: Place in a container with a lid and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can absolutely freeze it, and it does so well. Once the soup is cool in the fridge in a container with a lid, please place it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it for 1 day in the refrigerator before reheating it.
chef notes + tips
- This recipe makes quite a few meatballs, which I did on purpose to freeze half the batch.
More Soup Recipes
- Clam Chowder
- Pork Confit and Split Pea Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Zuppa Toscana
- Chicken Dumpling Soup Recipe
Video
Save
Homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
5 from 32 votes
This super tasty wedding soup recipe is loaded with meatballs, veggies, escarole and pasta that’s simmered in a delicious chicken stock.
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 1 peeled small diced yellow onion
- 4 finely minced cloves of garlic
- ¼ cup finely minced parsley
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 loaf Italian bread soaked in water and squeezed
- 5 eggs
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
For the Soup:
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 peeled medium diced yellow onion
- 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
- 4 stalks medium diced celery
- 4 peeled medium diced carrots
- 128 ounces chicken stock
- 2 heads escarole or 8 cups packed baby spinach
- 1 pound cooked and cooled acini di pepe
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Meatballs: Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed in and form small ping pong sized meatballs and set them on sheet trays lined with parchment paper.
Bake in the oven at 400° for 22-25 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
Freeze ½ of the meatballs and set the other ½ aside.
Soup: Add the olive oil to a large soup pot along with the onions, garlic, celery and carrots and sweat over low heat for 15 minutes. Do not brown them.
Add in the broth and simmer over low to medium heat for 15 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
To Plate: Place some of the broth and vegetables into a bowl. Add in some of the cooked and cooled acini di pepe along with a small handful of escarole, and 5-6 meatballs.
Grate on optional parmesan cheese.
Notes
Chef Notes:
- How to Make Ahead: Make the soup and keep the meatballs, broth with vegetables and acini di pepe separate until the day of serving it.
- How to Reheat: Place your desired amount of wedding soup into a small size pot and heat over low heat until hot. You can also simply heat in a microwave until hot.
- How to Store: Place in a container with a lid and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to Freeze: You can absolutely freeze it and it does so well. Once the soup is cool in the fridge in a container with a lid, place in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it for 1 day in the refrigerator before reheating it.
- This recipe makes quite a few meatballs, which I did on purpose so I could freeze half the batch.
Nutrition
Calories: 644kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 32gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 688mgPotassium: 965mgFiber: 6gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 5292IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 132mgIron: 4mg
Course: Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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57 comments
- Ed L
This is a must try recipe. Very flavorful and hits the spot!
I never thought of soaking bread to make the meatballs. Best meatballs I have ever made. Also, we made enough meatballs for spaghetti, which is one my daughter’s favorite.
Thanks Chef Parisi for sharing this recipe!- Reply
- Cynthia Boseski
Made 4 quarts with a few adjustments using what I had on hand. Made mini meatballs (around 150 with 20 ounces of ground turkey), substituted with pearl couscous & added zest of a lemon. Delicious!
- Reply
love it!
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- Jodi Firchau
I made your recipe for Italian Wedding Soup this week! It was delicious! Thank you for posting! So flavorish!
Jodi- Reply
- Deborah
I make this soup often.. it is so delicious
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- Gregg Slayton
Made a smaller amount just for the two of us – it was great. I did use my own chicken stock and kale for the greens. Also like a little fresh thyme and rosemary in the meatballs. Cooking them on the stovetop is the way to go.
I’ve made several different versions of Italian Wedding Soup and this is the best one yet!- Reply
- Jeffrey Lemley
sh*t, I just wrote my comments and was finishing up my story when it disappeared. I made this for Dinner tonight and it was delicious. I made 1/2 as many meatballs, and made them 1/2 the size of yours. I used my homemade Chicken Stock and Spinach instead of Escarole. Made enough to give some to a family friend for their Dinner Thanks again.
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- Nafina
Those meatballs the texture and the flavor. Amazing! I made meatball subs with half the meatballs and the smaller ones went into the soup.
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- Teri Ferranteex
I made this soup and it was delicious. The meatballs are really flavorful and the recipe was easy to follow.
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
My Pleasure!
- Reply
- Jamie Domreis
My family loved the soup, extra meatballs on the freezer ready to go!! Thank you Chef B!
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
My pleasure!
- Reply
- sue
So tasty 😋 thank you ChiefBilly 👏😋
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
my pleasure
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- Elizabeth Santora
My favorite go to soup. I bake my meatballs and add to broth. I use 1/2 chicken and 1/2 beef broth. I dice up carrots and celery fine. Spinach.I have also added 2 eggs scrambled to make egg drop broth. I freeze in single serving for take to work for lunches
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- Chef Billy Parisi
thanks!
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- Dottie
Flavorful and FABULOUS! The meatballs were tasty and tender as advertised. Used fresh chopped spinach and it was great. No kidding it makes a lot of meatballs, but I’ve got great bowls of “goodness” for several meals to come. Thank you Chef Billy!
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
my pleasure!
- Reply
- Dottie Linden
SOUPER flavorful, pun intended. The meatballs made this, and yes, it makes a ton of meatballs, but now I can have this wonderful soup in no time. I used chopped spinach instead of escarole because I had it and it was very flavorful. This is a definite keeper!
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- Chef Billy Parisi
Thank you!
- Reply
- Diana
Yes, Delicious!!! I used spinach. Next time escarole. Mmm!
- Reply
thanks for giving it a shot!!
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- Elizabeth A Hanka
Great recipe, L.O.V.E. the soup. Very tasty and easy to follow directions.
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- Karen
I want to make this soup It’s the first thing I ate after baby food and I would love to make it with your recipe I’d also like to watch the video anyone who loves the pasta should get it asap because this is the last year it is going to be made I also that urs will be the best
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- Eva
I made this soup with slight adjustments (type of pasta not available at the time) and I loved it. Delicious, hearty soup on a cold winter day.
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so good!!
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- Gayle
The best soup I have ever eaten. Could not stop eating those meatballs!
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so good!!
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- Michael C Shocik
I love home made soups, so I tried this one with store bought chicken stock, next time I will use your chicken stock. The soup was still very good!!
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thank you so kindly!!
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- Anna M
Absolutely delicious!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Marcia
A+ is the grade for this soup by my church dinner friends. Didn’t have a drop to bring home. I’ll make this IWS again.!!
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Awesome!
- Reply
- Gayle
This is the best soup and the best meatballs I have ever tasted. I love the meatballs so much it is hard to stop eating them long enough to make the soup.
- Reply
Wow, thank you!
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- Deborah
I have made this soup 3 times already. It is super delish. And I still have some left over frozen meatballs for another one. And as usual I added in red Thai peppers to spice it up..mmmm good
- Reply
Nice.
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- Kimberly Fuga
I’ve made this recipe several times! Doubling the recipe for the meatballs is the greatest idea. The second time you make the soup — quick and easy!
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Yes!
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- Christina
So delicious! This recipe is one I crave. And the extra meatballs are great to gave in the freezer and pull out when you need them. LOVE!
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- Bettye Denham
Made this for my grandsons and they loved it!
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- Chris
I just discovered your website and I am very excited to find this recipe. Your story about it really interested me because the only wedding soup I’ve ever had that I really loved was a canned soup made in Italy. It’s been a long time since I had escarole, but if I recall, it’s kind of tough. Should it be shredded before we put it in the bowl? Can’t wait to make this!
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No, it wilts in there just like any other leafy green 🙂
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- Nancy Seychel
Your recipe’s always look so good and you make it look so easy to make! Thank you for that! I have made several of your recipes and they are always good!!
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- Victoria
Meatballs were time consuming but so delicious. Soup was very good too. I used spinach since I couldn’t find the other. Definitely will make it again! Wish I could attach a pic of it as (sorry Chef) mine kind of looked better than yours. LOL. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
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- Victor
I’m a chef from northeast Ohio. When my Italian Grandmother made it she would put a whole chicken a let it simmer until the meat fell off the bones. That how we do it in Ohio. Try it I Guarantee you’ll love it . By the way I really love your hat what is the name of it?
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- Danielle Michael
This is on my menu for this week! Can I use Couscous instead of Acini di pepe? Having a hard time finding it….
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yes, Israeli cous cous
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- Howard Slobodinsky
This was incredibly satisfying to make and to eat. Those meatballs are sooo good.
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- Sondra
One word: ridiculous! This was so good! I cut the meatball recipe in half and still had to freeze some!
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- Katrina Wade
Thanks Chef,
This is the best soup I have ever made. Following instructions, everything turned out Great 😌! We are Italian now and my husband thinks it’s the best ever also😉- Reply
- Edwin
Your recipe reminds me of a time long ago, when I was very young and I ordered Italian Wedding soup at a local Italian restaurant in NYC’s Little Italy. Thank you for the walk down memory lane. And thank you for this delicious recipe. I did go ahead and add some parmesan cheese rind to the cooking stock for a little added depth of flavor. Turns out it was a good move. Again thank you!
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- Matt Taylor
Billy, this soup looks so amazing! I need to try it out before it gets too warm here in Phoenix, which is like March, LOL
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- Rachael Yerkes
perfect soup to get you through winter
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- Paige
Billy this soup looks AMAZING and those meatballs, especially. I also appreciate that you’ve really explained exactly how to make this recipe, which I intend to make this weekend! 🙂
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- Karyl | Karyl’s Kulinary Krusade
Oh my goodness this looks amazing! With all this horrible cold weather, I need a bowl of this soup STAT
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