The Best Italian Wedding Soup I Ever Made

Wedding soup or Italian wedding soup is an Italian soup consisting of green vegetables and meat. It is popular in the United States, where it is a staple in many Italian restaurants

The term wedding soup comes from a mistranslation of the Italian language phrase minestra maritata ('married soup'), which is a reference to the flavor produced by the combination or "marriage" of greens and the meat. The dish originates in the southern Italian region of Campania

Where does the Italian Wedding Soup Come from?

Wedding soup consists of green vegetables (usually endive and escarole or cabbage, lettuce, kale, and/or spinach) and meat (usually meatballs and/or sausage, the latter sometimes made of chicken and containing Italian parsley and parmesan cheese) in a clear chicken-based broth. Wedding soup sometimes contains pasta (usually cavatelli, fusilli, acini di pepe, pastina, orzo, etc.), lentils, carrots, or grated parmesan cheese.

Watch the video recipe

The Best Italian Wedding Soup I Ever Made

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken stock

4 carrots, cubed

3 stalks of celery, cubed

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 head of escarole, chopped

2 cups small pasta

4 Tbsp. olive oil

For the meatballs;

1 lb. ground turkey

1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

1 cup Panko crumbs

1 egg

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, garlic, egg, cheese, Panko bread crumbs, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Use your hands to mix it all together. Choose the size you’d like to make your meatballs and start rolling them all. Take into account that the meatballs grow when cooked in the soup so make them a bit smaller than you’d want them to be once cooked.

In a large pot over medium heat add the olive oil and saute the onion, carrot, and celery until the vegetables are softened and the onion becomes translucent. Season with a pinch of salt, it should take about 10 -15 minutes.

Once the vegetables are softened pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a medium/low to obtain a slow boil and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Add the meatballs to the soup, they will cook in about 10 minutes, they will float once they are cooked. Once the meatballs are cooked, add in the escarole. Mix together and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Turn the heat off.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the pasta. Cook as per the package instructions. I like to cook the pasta separately so that it doesn’t get overcooked in the soup if you have leftovers. Once done cooking, drain and scoop the amount of pasta you want into a bowl.

Scoop some soup into the bowl of pasta. Add a sprinkle of shredded Parmigiano - Reggiano cheese, serve and enjoy.

Enjoy The Best Italian Wedding Soup I Ever Made