Have you ever heard of Italian wedding soup, also known as minestra maritata? It’s an easy soup to make, and absolutely delicious! Hearty and comforting, it’s the perfect bowl of comfort food.
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Why this Recipe Works
This Italian wedding soup is packed with carrots, celery, onions, spinach, orzo, and flavorful meatballs. I secretly snacked on too many of them before they went into the soup because they were so delicious. 😉
Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients
This soup is a love child of the classic Italian minestrone and meatball soup. It’s rich in flavor and vegetables and made nice and filling with the addition of meatballs and pasta.
- Soup base: I use chicken broth, which adds a ton of flavor. You can also use beef broth or mushroom broth
- Vegetables: onion, carrot, celery, garlic and spinach are added to the broth
- Meatballs: I made the meatballs with a mixture of ground beef and pork, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and thyme
- Pasta: preferably tiny, bite-sized pasta like vermicelli, acini di pepe, orzo or ditalini
A Great Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Incidentally, the name of this soup has nothing to do with weddings. I had this romantic idea that it would be served at an Italian wedding or that newly weds would make it on their first day home, but that’s not the case. The name is somewhat poorly translated, but it’s all about the marriage of flavors in the soup. I can tell you it’s a very good marriage indeed.
In the mood for more filling and heartwarming soup recipes? Try my red curry and noodle soup, a classic Moroccan harira or this delicious oxtail soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prepare the Italian wedding soup beforehand?
Yes you can, I would suggest preparing it up to step 5 and adding the pasta and spinach when finishing the soup before serving.
How long to keep the soup?
You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or even freeze it.
Can I make this soup vegetarian?
Definitely! You can substitute the meatballs for plant-based ones and use a vegetable or mushroom based broth.
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Ingredients
- 250 gram ground beef (half beef, half pork)
- 25 gram panko
- ½ egg (beaten)
- 25 gram Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 tbsp parsley (fresh, finely chopped)
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 clove garlic
- 1.5 liter chicken stock
- 75 gram small pasta (such as vermicelli, acini di pepe, orzo, or ditalini)
- 100 gram spinach (coarsely chopped, stems removed)
- Extra Vierge olive oil, salt and pepper
Equipment
- Soup pot
INSTRUCTIONS (how to make this recipe):
- First, make the meatballs. Put all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, then roll the mixture into small soup balls.
- Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the meatballs until cooked through. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
- Meanwhile, chop the onion and cut the carrot into small cubes and the celery into thin strips.
- Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot and briefly fry the onion, carrot, and celery.
- Add the crushed garlic clove to the pan and fry briefly. Then, add the chicken stock, along with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the type of pasta used.
- Then, add the spinach and cook the soup for an additional two minutes. Add the meatballs and season the soup to taste.
- Spoon the soup into deep plates or bowls, and serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Bon appétit!
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