Italian Wedding Soup
A classic Italian wedding soup recipe, with little bits of pasta, shredded chicken, spinach and of course those little meatballs!
This wedding soup recipe is the very first one that I ever posted here on my little corner of the Internet. I grew up eating it at countless restaurants, at home and, of course, at weddings. My mom would make it occasionally, but it wasn’t until two summers ago that I fell in love with it again. I’m usually not one to devour soup during the summer months, but I was going through the first trimester of my pregnancy, and spent many days not very interested in food at all. Every Sunday, my mom would deliver me a fresh pot of homemade wedding soup, and I ate it for nearly every meal throughout the week (with oyster crackers – a must!). It absolutely hit the spot.
A few weeks ago, we were celebrating my father-in-law’s birthday so I asked him what he would like for dinner. Along with meatballs and rigatoni, he requested wedding soup. I hadn’t made it myself in years, so I was excited to have the opportunity to refresh my memory and do this fabulous recipe justice with new photos :)
While the most basic wedding soups include some type of meat, a green vegetable, pasta and clear broth, I’ve always loved how wonderfully hearty my mom’s recipe is.
Not only does she do the standard miniature meatballs, but she adds shredded chicken as well. I think it gives the soup so much more oomph and definitely makes it feel like more of a meal than just a bowl of soup.
When I’m not feeling well, it’s this wedding soup, and not your typical chicken noodle soup, that soothes my soul and makes me feel better.
Between the meatballs, chicken, little bits of pasta, carrots, celery and spinach, it’s extremely healthy, too!
Watch How to Make Italian Wedding Soup:
More Hearty Comfort Foods and Soups:
- Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
- Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- White Chicken Chili
- Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
If you make this wedding soup recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound (453.59 g) ground beef
- 1 small onion, grated
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg whites
For the Chicken:
- 1 pound (453.59 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced small
- 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 ribs celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 12 cups (2820 ml) chicken broth
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ¾ cup (127.5 g) acini di pepi or other small pasta
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) fresh spinach, chopped
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for the meatballs and shape into small (½-inch) balls. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, place the chicken breasts in a large stockpot and fill with water until it is covering the chicken by at least one inch. Bring to a boil and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and use tongs to remove the chicken to a large plate. Shred the chicken and set aside. Empty water from stockpot.
- Melt butter in the now-empty stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Gently add the meatballs to the soup and cook for 7 minutes. Add the pasta and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Add spinach and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the shredded chicken. Cover again and allow to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. You can eat as soon as the chicken is re-heated, but allowing it to simmer for a little longer allows all the new flavors to meld together.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on February 11, 2007.
As good as our favorite Italian restaurant – actually the meatballs are better! So much flavor. 10/10!!!
BEST EVER! I shared it with some friends and they also proclaimed it to be delicious! I don’t put the pasta in until re-heating portions. It freezes well, too.
Easy to make and thoroughly enjoyable!
I want to make this soup today but only have orzo pasta in my pantry. Can anyone tell me if Orzo will work? Thank you.
I use whatever tiny pasta I have
Wonderful made it many times
This is one of the best recipes and my family loves it..
Love this recipe
Excellent
Hi Michelle i need some help to make this wonderful sounding soup… if I may ask you for some help I need to know if the meatballs are made from ground beef or sausage, if you will read my first comment on the French Onion Soup comments you will see all i need help with is a combination for both of these soups.. for the French Onion Soup and the Italian Wedding soup I’m sorry, but at 80 years young I’m doing good to remember anything after 5 minutes lol.. Excuse me for combining the two in one comment, I had no idea I was… I suppose you can tell me what I need to know from my first post if not email me. My first message you will see I combined the two recipes. We enjoyed your Tortilla soup, it is wonderful being from Texas the Tex Mex state it was way more delicious than any Mexican restaurants we have eaten in… What I need help with is for both the French Onion and the Italian wedding soup, which in my other comment i said Cake not soup….BTY i have made your French onion soup not knowing what to substitute i guess it turned out ok my hubby of 57 years loved it… Besides, I”ve made a lot of your recipes that we have enjoyed. Sorry for the confusion you’re about to get into with my mix up!. Hugs again Granny B
we were introdued to this soup in Maine as we were driving to see the changing of the leaves many many years ago but i’ve never found it worth eating in any restraunt (we live in Texas) if we do see it on the meniu i always order it but it aways tastes like the chicken was dipped in water lol… I need help in may ways… i cannot find baguttes, pablano peppers, oryster cracker if i do are they seasoned or plane like the croutons they come in plain and seasoned also, my family wont eat spinach, and how do i season the meatballs plus do i use ground beef or sausage, I told you i was full of help me’ lmbo… Any suggestions you can help me with will certainly be ‘appreciated.. I love your site have made a lot of your awesome receipes the wedding cake which was delish and many more.. Thank you in advance barbauten75@gmail.com .. Big Hug Granny B
Hi Michelle,
I just made this soup today. My mother made this for us all the time. She died two years ago and I never had the recipe and sadly I never made this on my own. My pregnant daughter requested it. Your recipe was the closest one I found to my Sicilian mother’s soup. Thank you so much for helping me to recreate a piece of my past.
You really made me and my family so very happy!
Sincerely, Maria
My family and I love this soup!!!!
Was really tasty and easy to make will make again for sure…
Grew up in a VERY Italian household. This soup is amazing. It is worth every minute it takes to make it. Was in one of my favorite non Italian restaurants last night. Wedding soup was on the special list. Aside from being cold the meatballs were huge and barely cooked. I will stick with this recipe
Close to grandma’s but you really need homemade chicken broth. I use a whole chicken and make chicken broth and then shred the chicken to use in this soup. I make the little meatballs using less than a teaspoon of the meatball mix for each meatball. I never add the pasta to the soup – in fact I rarely put it in at all – less carbs and, again, Grandma never put it into her soup. We used Escarole, not spinach because spinach has so much less body. Clean the escarole, boil separately till tender, squeeze the water out of it and chop it up and use that in the soup. We don’t put carrots in it but you can for extra color. Thanks for posting this – the added chicken takes it from good to great!
Love this made it many times
I’m currently making this for the second time, it is a perfect recipe! I added italian seasoning to the meatballs, I only had plain breadcrumbs. The first time I skipped the chicken out of laziness and it was still amazing. This time I’m cooking chicken thighs in the instant pot and I will shred and add them in! Thanks for the great recipe! Oh also I’m using orzo since it is the only small pasta in the pantry
My coworker had made this on his day off and brought it in to work for lunch. Hands down on of the best bowls of soup I have ever had, I will be making it my next day off with my fiancé. Can’t wait!
Excellent! Everyone loved it. Really appreciated the clear, concise, step-by-step instructions.
Since i am of italian descent i was told to mix meatballs and roll in a string . When it was where i wanted it to cut to the size i wanted. This seems to work to get the smaller size and is a little faster than individually
Can you freeze the soup once you make it.
Forgot to keep Ave five stars. I’d make it 10 if I could.
I made this recipe and loved it. This will definitely become a winter staple. The only change I made was using ground chicken thigh instead of ground beef for the meat balls. Be prepared to spend time making this soup, but, boy, it’s worth it.
Fantastic! My husband’s great grandmother used to make a soup that he has always referred to as BB Soup. I’ve tried to mimic it on my own with no success. While BB soup did not have the meatballs just shredded chicken, my husband and I agreed they are a wonderful addition. With the first few bites he was taken back to his childhood! 😍 This is definitely being added to my regular recipes! Bravo!