The term wedding soup comes from the Italian language phrase minestra maritata (‘married soup’), which is a reference to the flavor produced by the combination or “marriage” of greens and the meat. And what a lovely marriage it is! So many different variations for this soup and all are delicious. I just find this way to my liking and the flavor is out of this world! I have a turkey meatball low calorie version you can find here.
Turkey Meatball Italian Wedding Soup!
For this soup I like to use grass-fed ground beef and Italian mild sausage. It is a lovely combo! Adding tomatoes is optional but I really like the flavor and if you can the best way to go is Cento San Marzano.
Okay enough chit chat, let’s get started!
Italian Wedding Soup!
Juicy meatballs made with beef and pork, pan fried and tossed in a light and flavorful broth with vegetables and noodles. It is a warm hug in a bowl.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 heaping handful of Italian style bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp. milk optional, but it helps make them juicy
- salt and pepper to taste
Soup
- 2 tbsp. good olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, minced
- 1 cup carrots, diced into small pieces
- 6 cups chicken broth, or vegetable 2 cups more for leftovers
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 14.5 oz whole peeled tomatoes, and the juice or you can get diced I love cento san Marzano whole peeled
- 2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 3 cups fresh spinach, trimmed
- grated parmesan cheese for garnish
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a medium mixing bowl, gently combine all of the meatball ingredients. Mix until well incorporated. Now roll into balls. On the smaller scale, a 1/2 tablespoon or so.
- Heat a cast iron or large pan on med-high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and cook the meatballs until they have a bit of a golden sear. Remove and set aside. We will finish cooking in the soup pot.
Soup
- Heat a large soup pan on medium heat. Add the olive oil. Toss in the onions and carrots. Sauté for 6 or 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the broth and wine, and can of tomatoes. Turn up the heat to med-high and bring to a boil. After it begins to boil add the pasta. Cook for 10 minutes stirring often. After 10 minutes or so turn back to medium heat and add the dill, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
- Test the pasta to make sure they are cooked. Now add the meatballs.
- Next to the pot is spinach. Stir and warm for 5 minutes or so. If you find the soup is has cooked down too much, add 2 more cups of broth and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with a pour of good olive oil on top and grated parmesan cheese.
- ENJOY!
LEFTOVERS
- If you happen to find yourself with leftovers the best way to reconstitute this dish is pop back in soup pan and add more broth.
- Add 2 cups of broth, salt, pepper to taste, and 1/4 tsp of paprika. If you have it, a splash of dry white wine.
- Cook until hot and ready to eat.
