Sign in to see ingredients
Create a free account to unlock this content
Don't have an account? Sign up free
Per serving
Calculating nutrition...
- 1
Mix and roll the meatballs
In a large bowl, gently combine the ground beef, ground pork, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, half the minced garlic, finely chopped parsley, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Don't overwork the meat — mix just until combined. Roll into small 3/4-inch meatballs. You should end up with around 35-40 of them. Pro tip for batch cooking: double this and freeze half raw on a sheet pan, then bag them up for a future soup night.
- 2
Brown the meatballs
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, about 2 minutes per batch, just to get color on the outside. They'll finish cooking in the broth. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Don't skip this step — the browned bits left in the pot become the soup's flavor base.
- 3
Soften the vegetables
Dice the onion, carrots, and celery. Add to the same pot and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until softened. Add a splash more olive oil if the pot looks dry. Add the remaining minced garlic and the Italian seasoning and cook 1 more minute until fragrant.
- 4
Build the broth
Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Reduce to a simmer.
- 5
Simmer with meatballs
Add the browned meatballs back to the pot. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
- 6
Cook pasta separately, then add spinach
While the soup simmers, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil and cook the acini de pepe until al dente, then drain. Cooking the pasta separately is the batch-cook move — if you cook it in the soup, leftovers absorb all the broth overnight. Stir the fresh spinach into the soup and cook 2 minutes until just wilted. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- 7
Serve and store
Add cooked pasta to individual serving bowls, ladle the soup over the top, and finish with freshly grated Parmesan. Store the soup, pasta, and any garnishes in separate containers in the fridge.
Sign in to see all instructions
Create a free account to unlock this content
Don't have an account? Sign up free
Italian Wedding Soup
Created by: SundayPrepCo
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 1/4 cup carrots
- 2 celery ribs
- 8 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 cup acini de pepe pasta
- 5 cup fresh spinach
Instructions
- Mix and roll the meatballsIn a large bowl, gently combine the ground beef, ground pork, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, half the minced garlic, finely chopped parsley, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Don't overwork the meat — mix just until combined. Roll into small 3/4-inch meatballs. You should end up with around 35-40 of them. Pro tip for batch cooking: double this and freeze half raw on a sheet pan, then bag them up for a future soup night.
- Brown the meatballsHeat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, about 2 minutes per batch, just to get color on the outside. They'll finish cooking in the broth. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Don't skip this step — the browned bits left in the pot become the soup's flavor base.
- Soften the vegetablesDice the onion, carrots, and celery. Add to the same pot and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until softened. Add a splash more olive oil if the pot looks dry. Add the remaining minced garlic and the Italian seasoning and cook 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Build the brothPour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer with meatballsAdd the browned meatballs back to the pot. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Cook pasta separately, then add spinachWhile the soup simmers, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil and cook the acini de pepe until al dente, then drain. Cooking the pasta separately is the batch-cook move — if you cook it in the soup, leftovers absorb all the broth overnight. Stir the fresh spinach into the soup and cook 2 minutes until just wilted. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve and storeAdd cooked pasta to individual serving bowls, ladle the soup over the top, and finish with freshly grated Parmesan. Store the soup, pasta, and any garnishes in separate containers in the fridge.