Italian Wedding Soup
from kristineskitchenblog.comThis Italian Wedding Soup has tiny meatballs, veggies and pasta in a flavorful broth. It's a hearty, comforting meal that the whole family will love.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 422kcal
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- canola oil for greasing the baking sheet
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces ground turkey
- 8 ounces Italian sausage pork, chicken or turkey, removed from casings
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 large carrots chopped into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup dry acini de pepe pasta or orzo or ditalini
- 3 ounces fresh spinach chopped
- fresh parsley and/or grated Parmesan cheese optional, for serving
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 450° F. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with canola oil.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, grated Parmesan, Italian breadcrumbs, minced garlic, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork until well combined.
- Add the ground turkey and Italian sausage to the bowl. Mix with your hands until well combined.
- Form the mixture into small meatballs that are ¾ to 1-inch wide and place them on the greased baking sheet. (You should get about 50 small meatballs.)
- Bake meatballs in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, until cooked to 165° F.
Make the Soup
- While the meatballs bake, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.
- Stir in the broth, Italian seasoning, black pepper and cooked meatballs. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, until carrots are almost soft.
- Stir in the pasta, cover the pot, and simmer until the pasta is just al dente, 9-10 minutes or according to the pasta package directions.
- Uncover the pot, stir in the chopped spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the spinach wilts. Taste the soup and season with additional salt or pepper, if needed. Serve with fresh parsley and/or Parmesan cheese, or as desired.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: If you plan to freeze the soup, it’s best to freeze it without the pasta. You can take out a few portions of soup for the freezer before adding the pasta (reduce the amount of pasta for a smaller quantity of soup). Soup may be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. If desired, add pasta to the soup when reheating on the stove.
Nutrition
Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 724mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4924IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 3mg
