Italian Wedding Soup is one of those meals that feels fancy but is secretly super easy to pull together on a busy night. My family loves it because it’s cozy, hearty, and has those fun little meatballs that make everyone think you spent way more time than you actually did.
The magic of wedding soup is the balance — savory broth, tender greens, tiny pasta, and juicy meatballs all working together without any heavy ingredients. It’s perfect for weeknights, meal prep, or even a light starter when you’re hosting.
Tips & Tricks
- Use the smallest pasta you can find so everything fits perfectly on a spoon.
- Brown the meatballs in the pot before adding the broth for extra flavor.
- Add a Parmesan rind if you have one — it adds a ton of depth.
- Don’t worry if the greens look like too much; they shrink down quickly.
- Make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze them to speed things up later.
Easy Italian Wedding Soup
Make a quick and comforting Italian Wedding Soup with tender meatballs, tiny pasta, and fresh greens. A fast, flavorful weeknight dinner your whole family will love.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or deep cast iron pot
Ingredients
- 1 batch of homemade meatballs or 1 bag frozen
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 Parmesan rind optional but amazing
- 1/2 cup tiny pasta or orzo or couscous
- 2 cups chopped spinach or escarole
- Salt & pepper
- Extra Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot and brown the meatballs just until they get some color — they don’t need to cook all the way through. Remove and set aside.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Pour in the chicken broth and add the Parmesan rind if using. Bring to a simmer, then add the pasta and return the meatballs to the pot. Cook until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are fully cooked, about 10–12 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and let it wilt for a minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with extra Parmesan.
- If you want this thicker, let it simmer a little longer. If it gets too thick after sitting, just splash in more broth when reheating. This one reheats beautifully and tastes even better the next day.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
