FAVORITE ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
Wednesday, 22 May 2019
By combining elements of a few different Italian wedding soup recipes, I was able to create the ULTIMATE Italian wedding soup recipe. My whole family loves it, and you will, too. Check out the rave reviews!
In the soup aisle of Target, my tear-streaked five-year-old was looking forlornly at the spot where “Favorite Soup” used to reside.
For a year, I’d been scooping up every box of Archer Farms Italian Wedding Soup I could get my hands on during our Target trips. She ate it almost every day for lunch. And sadly, it had been discontinued.
I promised her we’d find another Italian wedding soup just as good; and if not, I’d replicate it myself.
The search was long and arduous. We tried brand after brand and none of them matched up.
Some had carrots (the horror), others had no pasta (unacceptable), some were too salty, some were too bland, and some were banned by me because the ingredients were unpronounceable.
My mom made a homemade version that nailed the same flavor as the original, but it got a “thumbs sideways” because of the too-big meatballs, the use of escarole instead of spinach, and the lack of “tiny pasta balls” that made Favorite Soup the all-time favorite.
FAVORITE ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
COURSE: MAIN COURSE
CUISINE: ITALIAN
KEYWORD: COMFORT FOOD, EASY SOUP RECIPE
PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR
SERVINGS: 8
CALORIES: 293 KCAL
AUTHOR: ALYSSA
A delicious Italian Wedding soup recipe containing pasta, meatballs, spinach, and a flavorful broth.
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
RECIPE NOTES
*I use about 8 oz, but we like a lot of pasta in our soup, so use less if you'd prefer it more brothy.
This recipe and image adapted from : https://www.goodinthesimple.com
In the soup aisle of Target, my tear-streaked five-year-old was looking forlornly at the spot where “Favorite Soup” used to reside.
For a year, I’d been scooping up every box of Archer Farms Italian Wedding Soup I could get my hands on during our Target trips. She ate it almost every day for lunch. And sadly, it had been discontinued.
I promised her we’d find another Italian wedding soup just as good; and if not, I’d replicate it myself.
The search was long and arduous. We tried brand after brand and none of them matched up.
Some had carrots (the horror), others had no pasta (unacceptable), some were too salty, some were too bland, and some were banned by me because the ingredients were unpronounceable.
My mom made a homemade version that nailed the same flavor as the original, but it got a “thumbs sideways” because of the too-big meatballs, the use of escarole instead of spinach, and the lack of “tiny pasta balls” that made Favorite Soup the all-time favorite.
FAVORITE ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
COURSE: MAIN COURSE
CUISINE: ITALIAN
KEYWORD: COMFORT FOOD, EASY SOUP RECIPE
PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR
SERVINGS: 8
CALORIES: 293 KCAL
AUTHOR: ALYSSA
A delicious Italian Wedding soup recipe containing pasta, meatballs, spinach, and a flavorful broth.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small onion grated
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 slice white bread crusts trimmed, grated or shredded
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan optional
- 8 oz lean ground beef
- 8 oz ground pork
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach
- approx 6-8 oz of Acini de Pepe or other tiny pasta*
- 2 tbsp parmesan optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Then add the cheese, beef, and pork. Shape the meat mixture into meatballs, and place on a baking sheet. I prefer the meatballs to be on the smaller side, but you can make them any size you want.
- To make the soup: Bring the broth and frozen spinach to a boil in a large pot. Add the meatballs (uncooked) and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don't stick. Add the pasta and continue cooking at a low boil until both the pasta and meatballs are cooked (approx 20 minutes). Season with salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving, if you wish.
RECIPE NOTES
*I use about 8 oz, but we like a lot of pasta in our soup, so use less if you'd prefer it more brothy.
This recipe and image adapted from : https://www.goodinthesimple.com