Italian Wedding Soup

Looking for a hearty and delicious meal that will warm you up from the inside out? Look no further than Italian wedding soup! This traditional Southern Italian dish is a perfect blend of meat, veggies, and pasta, all simmered together in a flavorful broth.

Homemade meatballs, tender rotisserie chicken, fresh greens, and pasta come together to create a truly decadent soup that will satisfy your cravings for comfort food. And let's not forget about the generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top - it's the perfect finishing touch to this savory dish.

If you're ready to whip up a batch of this ever-popular soup. Trust us, once you try it, you'll want to make it again and again! So what’s in this soup that makes it different?

Eggs: Meatballs get their shape due to using eggs help bind the ingredients together.

Dry breadcrumbs: I use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs or if I’m out, I will use panko breadcrumbs.

Fresh herbs: If I don’t have fresh parsley on hand, I will substitute a tablespoon or so of dried Italian and basil herbs.

Romano cheese: Be sure to use grated Romano, as it distributes more evenly than shredded Romano.

Raisins: I learned to make Italian meatballs from a born Italian cook who always threw in a handful of raisins into her meatball mix, so it’s habit for me to do the same, but it’s up to you if you want to do the same. 

Garlic: mince your garlic finely, so it cooks up well inside the meatballs  

Crushed red pepper flakes: Feel free to double the amount of crushed red pepper flakes if you want more of a kick.

Ground beef: Lean ground beef makes tasty meatballs

Pork sausage: I use a combination of ground pork sausage and ground beef for this soup.  Makes for a really good Italian meatball for the soup.

Chicken broth: Homemade chicken broth is best but store-bought works, too..

Rotisserie chicken: I love Rotisserie chicken due to it being juicy and delicious and adds a serious added flavor to your soup.

Pasta: I use another small noodle shape, like ditalini or orzo for this soup.

Spinach: I’ve used Kale but didn’t like it, so I stick with Spinach.

Ingredients

2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon raisins, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 pound lean ground beef 
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
2 cartons (32 ounces each) of chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
2/3 cup uncooked ditalini or orzo pasta
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach, cut into thin strips
Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

Alright, folks let's get cooking! Grab a big bowl and toss in the first 7 ingredients, then crumble in the beef and sausage. Mix it all up until it's nicely combined, then shape into little 1/2-inch balls.

Heat up your Dutch oven and brown those meatballs in batches until they're nice and golden. Drain off any excess grease, then pour in the broth and pepper. Bring it all to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Next, add in the chicken and pasta, cooking for another 8-10 minutes until the pasta is tender. Toss in the spinach and cook until it's wilted. If you're feeling fancy, sprinkle on some shredded Romano cheese before serving. Enjoy!

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts from Phoenix University in Business Management, then a degree. Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Phoenix University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft, and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. In her spare time, Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, Gouche, and pastels. As a political operative having worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 6 blogs that range from art to life coaching, to food, to writing, and opinion or history pieces each week.