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Italian Wedding Soup | A Nerd Cooks
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5 from 2 votes

Italian Wedding Soup

This recipe for Classic Italian Wedding soup comes complete with spinach, tiny pasta, shredded chicken, and meatballs.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 55 minutes
Total Time2 hours 25 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 496kcal
Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

For the meatballs (yields ~36 1-inch meatballs)

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion , grated
  • 4 tablespoon Parmesan cheese , grated
  • 2-3 tablespoon Italian bread crumbs
  • 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 egg

For the soup

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 4 carrots peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
  • 4 ribs celery thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 12 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup acini di pepe pasta
  • 8 oz baby spinach roughly chopped
  • 1 lb chicken breasts cooked and shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese shredded (optional)

Instructions

To make the meatballs

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Place all meatball ingredients in a medium to large bowl. Mix everything together with your hands until just combined. 
  • Shape the meat mixture into ½- to 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. 
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To make the soup

  • Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent.
  • Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Add the meatballs and simmer for 7 minutes. 
  • Add the pasta and simmer for 6 more minutes. 
  • Add the spinach and simmer for an additional 3 minutes. 
  • Next, add the shredded chicken and simmer for approximately 30 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Ladle into bowls and top with a bit of Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes

Note: Rotisserie chicken can be used in lieu of cooking your own chicken breasts.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 2486mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g