Italian Wedding Soup is a brothy chicken soup built around small ground-chicken meatballs, wilted greens, and tiny pasta — all cooked together in a seasoned vegetable broth finished with a splash of cream. The name comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata, meaning the pairing of meat and greens, not any wedding tradition. It makes a generous pot that holds up well in the fridge, so one cooking session covers several meals.
About the ingredients
- Acini di pepe or orzo: Either works. Acini di pepe stays slightly firmer after refrigeration, which matters if you’re storing the soup for a few days. Cook the pasta separately and add it per bowl if you plan to keep leftovers — pasta left in broth swells and turns mushy.
- Escarole vs. spinach: Escarole holds its texture longer in hot broth and reheats better. Baby spinach wilts faster and is easier to find. Both are fine; escarole is the better choice for a batch you’ll eat across the week.
- Ground chicken: Ground chicken breast is leaner and can dry out. A blend of breast and thigh, or all-thigh, produces noticeably more tender meatballs. Check the label before buying.
- Heavy cream: Only a small amount is used. Half-and-half works but gives a thinner result. Skip the cream entirely if you prefer — the Parmesan and pasta starch still give the broth body.
Why this recipe works
Two things make this soup succeed. First, the meatballs are mixed minimally — just until the ingredients combine — which keeps the ground chicken from becoming dense and rubbery. Overworking develops the proteins and tightens the texture; stop as soon as you stop seeing dry patches. Second, the aromatics (onion, carrot, celery, garlic) are sautéed before the broth goes in. That short time in hot oil draws out their flavor in a way that simmering raw vegetables in liquid never quite matches, and it gives the finished broth a depth that makes the soup taste like it cooked longer than it did.
Common problems and fixes
- Meatballs fall apart in the broth: The mixture was too wet or the meatballs went into boiling rather than gently simmering liquid. Chill the formed meatballs for 15 minutes before adding them, and keep the broth at a low simmer — not a rolling boil — while they cook.
- Soup tastes flat after refrigerating: Cold dulls salt. Taste and re-season every time you reheat. A small squeeze of lemon juice also sharpens the flavor without making the soup taste lemony.
- Greens turn yellow and slimy: They cooked too long, or sat in hot broth for hours. Add greens only in the last 3–4 minutes of cooking, and if storing the batch, keep greens separate and stir them into each reheated portion.
- Broth is watery and thin: Either the pasta was cooked in the soup and then removed (taking its starch with it), or the cream was skipped without compensation. A tablespoon of grated Parmesan stirred in at the end thickens the broth slightly and adds flavor. Skip the garnish of extra Parmesan on top — not worth the extra dish.
- Meatballs are dry inside: Ground chicken breast with no fat addition dries out fast. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the meatball mixture, or switch to ground chicken thigh. Internal temperature must reach 165°F (74°C), so don’t undercook to compensate — fix the fat content instead.
Exquisite Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Meatball Ingredients
- ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano - grated
Soup Ingredients
1 cup Conchiglie rigate (also called shell or seashell pasta) - get little cups of flavour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Combine all of the meatball ingredients above in a medium bowl for the meatballs. You may have to use your hands to get a thorough mix. (Make sure to take your rings off first!). With a teaspoon, drop 1-inch-ish meatballs on the pan. We made about 20 meatballs with the above amounts.
- Bake tge meatballs for 30 minutes or until cooked through and light brown.
- As the meatballs cook, you can start on the soup. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a soup pot. Add onion, carrots and celery. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Add chicken stock and wine and allow to boil. Add pasta and cook for however long the package tells you.
- Add the meatballs and bring down the temperature to a simmer. Simmer meatballs for 1 minute, and then add the spinach until it’s wilted (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add any salt or pepper if need be.
- Ladle into bowls and put some extra cheese on the soup. Then toast the newlyweds, whoever they may be, for having a soup named after them!
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I make the meatballs ahead of time?
Yes — raw meatballs can be formed, placed on a lined tray, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking. You can also cook them fully, cool them, and refrigerate for up to 3 days; add them to freshly made broth when you’re ready to serve so they don’t overcook on reheating.
How long does the finished soup keep in the fridge?
The soup base with meatballs keeps well for 4 days in a sealed container. Store the pasta and greens separately and add them when reheating each portion — this prevents the pasta from absorbing all the broth and the greens from going limp.
Can I freeze this soup?
Freeze the broth and meatballs together, but leave out the pasta and greens entirely — both turn unpleasant after freezing and thawing. Freeze in individual portions for up to 2 months, then cook fresh pasta and greens directly into the reheated soup.
How do I know when the chicken meatballs are fully cooked?
Ground chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) — use an instant-read thermometer to check the center of a meatball. If you don’t have a thermometer, cut one open; the meat should be completely white with no pink remaining and the juices should run clear.
More mince recipes to try
- Hearty Beef Kale Soup
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Chicken Macadamia Sausage Rolls
- Hearty Beef Mushroom Stroganoff
