Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Mix

In a large bowl combine ground beef and ground pork with breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, egg, milk, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano, kosher salt and black pepper. Mix gently with your hands or a fork until just combined — avoid overworking to keep meatballs tender.

Form

Use a teaspoon or small cookie scoop to portion mixture into very small meatballs (about 3/4–1 tablespoon each). You should get roughly 30–36 small meatballs for this quantity.

Brown (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, lightly brown meatballs on all sides, about 2–3 minutes total per batch. They do not need to be fully cooked through — just develop color. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towel. (If you prefer to skip browning, you can add raw meatballs directly to the simmering broth in the next section.)

Sweat aromatics

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots and celery. Season lightly with the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt from this section. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and onion is translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Add stock and herbs

Pour in 8 cups chicken stock, then add dried thyme and the bay leaf. Increase heat to bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer with meatballs

Carefully add the browned (or raw) meatballs to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until meatballs are cooked through and flavors meld, about 12–15 minutes (raw meatballs may need 14–18 minutes). Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper if needed.

Cook pasta

Add 1/2 cup acini di pepe or orzo to the simmering soup and cook until tender, following package guidance (usually 6–8 minutes) but start checking at 5 minutes so pasta doesn’t overcook. If you prefer firmer pasta, cook separately to al dente and add to bowls when serving.

Add greens

When pasta is almost done, stir in the chopped escarole or baby spinach. Cook just until greens are wilted and bright green, about 1–2 minutes.

Brighten and serve

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes if using. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot with crusty bread. Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; store pasta separately if you plan to reheat to prevent over-softening.