Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Yum

Looking for an Italian Wedding Soup Recipe that's quick and easy? How about one that has lots of variations? I love to make this with kale instead of the usual spinach. Adds an extra depth of flavor.

Below you'll find the recipe that I like to make. Below that, you'll even find Oma's Super Quick Italian Wedding Soup!

Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

Meatballs

• ½ lb ground lean pork
• ½ lb ground lean beef
• ⅓ cup bread crumbs
• 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 egg

Soup

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup chopped onions
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup small pasta such as stars or orzo
• 12 oz. baby spinach or other greens (see 'a bit of this and a bit of that' below)
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

• Mix the meatball ingredients together well in a large bowl. Using a teaspoon as a measure, form into 1-inch balls and place onto a large plate. Cover and put in fridge until ready to use.
• Into a large soup pot, sauté onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add celery and garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. 
• Add meatballs and pasta making sure everything is submerged. Bring to boil, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach.
• Check that the meatballs are fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Makes 7 - 8 servings.

A bit of this and a bit of that ...

• Add any green veggies you have in your fridge such as broccoli, chicory, escarole, green cabbage, kale, spinach, collard greens, etc. Shred them and add to soup.
• Instead of using a beef/pork mixture, you can take 1 lb of Italian Sausage, and remove the casings. Add 1 egg, 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, and 1 Tbsp minced parsley. Mix and form into meatballs and use as above.
• If you have a delicious homemade chicken soup recipe, use that to make the stock.
• You can also use purchased stock or bouillon cubes and water.

Oma's Super Quick Italian Wedding Soup

Here's my version for an extra speedy Wedding Soup!

• Use frozen cooked small or cocktail-sized meatballs.
• Use purchased chicken stock.
• Cook about 10 minutes or until meatballs are heated through.
• Add the pasta and a can of kale or a package of frozen chopped spinach.
• Cook about 6 minutes or until pasta is tender. Season. Done.

Italian Wedding Soup. German? Nope.

However, if you're looking for German soups, then Oma's book is what you're looking for:

What makes these soups so wunderbar? They bring back such wonderful memories of my Mutti's kitchen. So, of course, I had to write my own soup e-cookbook to share with my grandchildren. I know you'll LOVE it, too! There are 84 full-color pages filled with step-by-step instructions and hints. Take a quick peek ...

Sharing these soup recipes from my Mutti and Oma to my own young grandchildren ... that's such a delicious way to pass on our German heritage :)

Wedding Soup. Really?

Although the origin of this soup is questionable, it does appear to be a traditionally Italian-American dish with its mistranslation of "minestra maritata" meaning "married soup."

This does not refer to weddings, but because the meats and green vegetables go together or marry so well.

It has, though, become one of the most popular of Italian soups that most know, and is now often served at weddings.

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Some German Veggie Soups

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Want nutritional information for a recipe? Copy and paste the ingredient list and the number of servings into Calorie Count. It will give you an approximate calculation.

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