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Italian Wedding Soup is the cozy, slurpable bowl my whole family fights over, with tender mini meatballs, tiny orzo, and fresh spinach swimming in a savory parmesan broth. I made a big pot last chilly Sunday and Maddie went back for thirds before I even sat down. If you love a from-scratch comfort bowl, it is right up there with our cozy minestrone soup.
Do not let the name fool you, there is no wedding required, just a quick batch of homemade meatballs and one pot stand between you and the most comforting dinner on the table.
Italian Wedding Soup Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 35 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 55 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 376kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Savory, brothy, and herby with little bites of beef-and-pork meatball
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, about as simple as our hearty Italian meatball soup
Quick Answer
To make Italian Wedding Soup from scratch, mix a beef-and-pork meatball blend with parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, and herbs, then roll it into mini meatballs and brown them. Saute carrots, celery, and onion, pour in chicken broth, then simmer the meatballs and orzo until tender. Stir in fresh spinach right before serving and finish each bowl with extra parmesan.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A beef-and-pork blend. Mixing ground beef with ground pork keeps the mini meatballs rich and tender instead of dry and dense.
- Browning builds flavor. Searing the meatballs before they hit the broth leaves savory fond on the bottom of the pot that deepens the whole soup.
- Orzo cooks right in the pot. The tiny pasta soaks up the broth and thickens it slightly, so every spoonful is hearty.
- Low-sodium broth keeps you in control. Starting with low-sodium chicken broth lets the parmesan and meatballs season the soup without it turning salty.
- Spinach goes in last. Stirring the spinach in off the heat keeps it bright green and just-wilted instead of overcooked and dull.
- Mini meatballs mean every bite counts. Rolling the meatballs small lets you get meat, pasta, and greens in a single spoonful, the way wedding soup is meant to be eaten.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tender homemade mini meatballs make it taste like it simmered all day, even though it comes together in under an hour.
- It is a full meal in one bowl, with protein, pasta, and greens, so all you need is a hunk of crusty ciabatta bread on the side.
- The leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch all week, which makes it a meal-prep MVP.
Key Ingredients
Here is what gives this Italian Wedding Soup its cozy, savory flavor. You likely have most of it in the fridge already.
- Ground beef and ground pork: The half-and-half blend is the secret to mini meatballs that stay juicy. If you only have one on hand, our classic homemade meatballs work too.
- Parmesan cheese: Grated parmesan seasons both the meatballs and the broth with salty, nutty depth. Grate it fresh if you can.
- Orzo pasta: This rice-shaped pasta is traditional and cooks right in the broth. Ditalini or acini di pepe swap in easily.
- Fresh spinach: Stirred in at the end for color and a little green. Escarole or kale are classic stand-ins.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: The base of the whole soup. Low-sodium lets you control the salt as the parmesan melts in.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This soup is easy to make your own. Here are a few simple swaps and add-ins my family loves.
- Make it lighter: Use all ground turkey or chicken for the meatballs to lighten things up.
- Swap the greens: Trade spinach for chopped escarole, kale, or even shredded cabbage.
- Change the pasta: Acini di pepe, ditalini, or broken spaghetti all work in place of orzo.
- Add more veggies: A handful of peas or diced zucchini stirred in with the spinach bulks it up.
- Make it a meal: Serve it alongside our garlic rosemary focaccia to soak up every drop.
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, ground pork, parmesan, bread crumbs, grated onion, eggs, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper by hand until just combined. Do not over-mix or the meatballs turn tough.
- Roll the mixture into 1.5 tablespoon mini meatballs and set them on a plate.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides in batches, about 15 minutes; they do not need to cook through yet, then return them to the plate.
- Add the remaining olive oil, carrots, onion, and celery to the pot. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes, then stir in the garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil.
- Add the browned meatballs and orzo, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spinach until wilted, then serve with extra parmesan.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not over-mix the meat. Combine the meatball mixture just until it comes together; overworking it makes tough, dense meatballs.
- Keep the meatballs mini. A 1.5 tablespoon scoop keeps them bite-sized so you get meat, pasta, and broth in every spoonful.
- Brown, do not fully cook. You just want color on the meatballs; they finish cooking in the simmering broth.
- Cook the orzo in the soup. It releases starch that lightly thickens the broth, but stir often so it does not stick to the bottom.
- Add pasta close to serving. If you are making it ahead, cook the orzo separately and add it to the bowls so it does not soak up all the broth.
- Finish with parmesan. A shower of fresh parmesan on top is non-negotiable, just like with our cozy lasagna soup.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This Italian Wedding Soup is a full meal on its own, but a basket of warm bread makes it a feast. Tear into our homemade ciabatta rolls or a slab of garlic rosemary focaccia to mop up the last of that parmesan broth.
For a bigger Italian spread, serve smaller bowls as a starter before baked tortellini with meat sauce or a twirl of spaghetti aglio e olio. A crisp green salad on the side rounds it out.
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to four days and only get better. If you love a cozy soup night, add our classic minestrone to the rotation too.
Italian Wedding Soup FAQs
Italian Wedding Soup is a classic Italian-American soup of mini meatballs, small pasta like orzo, and leafy greens in a light broth. The name comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata, meaning married soup, which refers to how the meat and greens pair together, not to an actual wedding.
Yes. The soup base and meatballs keep beautifully for up to four days in the fridge. For the best texture, cook the orzo separately and add it to each bowl when serving so the pasta does not absorb all the broth and turn mushy.
Freeze the soup without the pasta for up to three months. Orzo turns soft and grainy after freezing, so cook and add it fresh when you reheat. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm gently on the stove, then stir in spinach and fresh orzo.
A half-and-half blend of ground beef and ground pork gives the most tender, flavorful mini meatballs. You can use all beef, all pork, or ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version, though the texture will be slightly firmer.
Any small pasta works well. Acini di pepe, ditalini, pastina, or broken spaghetti are all great swaps. Keep the amount about the same so the soup stays brothy rather than turning into a thick stew.
Stir the spinach in at the very end, off the heat or just as you turn it off. The residual warmth wilts it in under a minute while keeping it bright green. Adding it too early dulls the color and makes it slimy.
Looking for your next cozy bowl? Try our creamy kale, potato, and sausage soup next.
Add our lasagna roll ups to your dinner rotation for an easy, make-ahead Italian meal.
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated yellow or white onion
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 & 1/4 cups small diced carrots
- 1 & 1/4 cups small diced yellow or white onion
- 3/4 cup small diced celery
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 9 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dried Orzo pasta
- 6 ounces fresh spinach chopped
- grated parmesan to serve
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, ground pork, parmesan, bread crumbs, grated onion, eggs, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined. I like to do this by hand; do not over-mix1/2 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated yellow or white onion, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Roll the meat mixture into 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls and place them on a plate.
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil once hot. Brown the mini meatballs on all sides in batches; you do not need to cook them all the way through. Once browned, place them back on the plate, about 15 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil
- No need to wipe out the pan, add the additional tablespoon of olive oil, carrots, onion, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 & 1/4 cups small diced carrots, 1 & 1/4 cups small diced yellow or white onion, 3/4 cup small diced celery
- Stir in the garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds.4 cloves garlic
- Add the chicken stock, scrape off any browned bits off the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil.9 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Add the browned meatballs and pasta and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.1 cup dried Orzo pasta
- Stir in the spinach until wilted. Serve immediately with more parmesan on top.6 ounces fresh spinach, grated parmesan to serve
Notes
- Brown the meatballs in batches to ensure they get a nice crust.
- Use a food processor to chop your veggies quickly and evenly if desired.
- When using leafy greens, add them at the end so they stay bright and fresh.
- A sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese elevates the flavor.
- Serve with crusty bread and a side salad for a complete and satisfying meal.
Nutrition
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