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–+ servings
5 from 1 vote

Italian Wedding Soup

There are so many things to love about a wedding, but Italian weddings are special. They are full of traditions and flavors. One thing you can almost always be sure of is there will be soup to start the meal and it will likely be a traditional Italian wedding soup.
We love it and see no need to wait for someone to get hitched to have it, we make it year round.
Prep Time1 day
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time1 day 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 403kcal

Ingredients

For The Soup

  • 3 lbs Chicken
  • 6 Carrots peeled and diced
  • 3 Celery diced
  • 1 Onion Large diced
  • 2 Cloves Garlic minced
  • 4-6 Cups Kale Spinach or Escarole (escarole is the traditional green)
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2-3 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flake
  • 4-6 Quarts Chicken Stock
  • 3-4 Cups Pasta Small I used Farfalini, but could use Acini de Pepe, Ditalini, Orzo or any other tiny pasta.

For Meatballs

  • 1lb Beef for meatballs
  • 1/4 Cup Grated Cheese
  • 1/8 Cup Bread crumbs
  • 1 Tbs Parsley Fresh
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Garlic
  • 1/4 Tsp Garlic powder

Instructions

  • Cook the chicken and pull all the meat from the bones discard the skin. This can be done a day ahead of time. I did mine in a crockpot for ease.
  • Save the stock for the soup by placing it in a Mason jar and refrigerating overnight. In the morning skim the fat from the top and discard it.
  • Add some olive oil to the bottom of a soup pan and cook the onions,  carrots, and celery until translucent.
  • Add in the stock, the chicken meat, and the spices, including the bay leaves.
  • Next, add in the kale or whichever green you selected.
  • Cover the pot and bring it all to a boil.
  • Once it has all cooked together by boiling for 10 minutes or so, add the meatballs and reduce to low and simmer. Keep the pot covered.
  • Simmer for at least one hour.
  • Cook the pasta in a separate pot, drain but reserve a cup of the pasta water for your soup. There is no need to rinse the pasta

Cook The Meatballs While Your Soup First Starts To Simmer

  • Preheat your oven to 350 F
  • Add all your meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl. Form very small meatballs about the size of your thumb.
  • Place the meatballs onto a baking sheet with a rack lined aluminum foil into the oven for 15 minutes Or You can fry them in a pan with some olive oil
  • Remove the meatballs and place them into your soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 603mg | Potassium: 813mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6018IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 3mg