Well. First of all, let me say that I love weddings. EVERY last thing about them. I get all teary eyed for the bride and groom. I always imagine that I’m the photographer, looking for those candid moments that can’t be missed. I love the wedding liturgy, the familiar words, the dancing, all of it. I love shopping for wedding gifts and remembering what’s it’s like to be newly married. I want to remind the bride and groom (they all look 12 to me now) not to take themselves too seriously and that marriage is hard. But, mostly, I want to eat cake. I’ve got no lies to tell. I’m a wedding crasher in search of cake.
And wedding soup was one of the first foods Stevie and I learned to love together. There was a fly by night hole in the wall italian restaurant near the hospital where we worked and we’d meet there for lunch and eat wedding soup. I’ve had a soft spot for it ever since. If you’ve never tried it, you’re in for a treat!
I’m sure you thought that surely there had to be an end to the soups I make and love. But then you would be forgetting that I call myself the Soup Whisperer. I have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to soups. And speaking of Pinterest, I confess to having a wedding board. FOR A FRIEND, y’all. I’m kinda relieved I had my wedding before Pinterest because OH THE PRESSURE. I created the board way before Adriane ever found her husband. They recently married and are the most adorable two people on the planet. She’s a writer/editor (with a book coming out soon) and he’s a dairy farmer. I DIE!
(via Ashley Lowry Photography)
I know I keep digressing, but I love soups and I love people in love. This one is a keeper. It marries the worlds of men (beef) and women (vegetables) and uses the flavor and stability of parmesan cheese to bind all hearts together. But, I digress.
Make it this weekend for you sweetie pie. And? Invite me to all your weddings. Amen.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 4 cloves minced garlic (Add half of it to the meatballs and half to the soup)
- 1 large onion (half of it grated into the meatballs, the other half chopped and sauteed in the soup.)
- 1 tsp salt and pepper
- 1 cup small pasta (stellate or acini de pepe is what I normally use but basically find the smallest pasta you can)
- 3 boxes of good chicken stock (I use Kitchen Basics in the yellow box, which CANNOT be beat. Each box is 32 oz)
- 1 bag of fresh spinach (Or as much as you like. I use alot, maybe 3 big handfuls, but it will wilt down and you’ll wish you had added more)
- 2 egg yolks
- Good freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish (the green can stuff is okay in a pinch, but freshly grated parmesan is almost as good as wedding cake. I said almost.)
What You’ll Do:
For the meatballs—
- Mix the raw beef, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, onion, and salt and pepper.
- Combine until mixed well and form into small (about 1 inch) meatballs that you will drop into the hot broth.
For the soup—
- Chop and saute the leftover half of the onion in 2 T. olive oil over medium high heat for 3-4 min
- Add salt and pepper to the onion at this stage so you don’t have to correct the seasoning so much at the end (maybe a teaspoon of salt)
- Add chopped garlic and saute another minute or two.
- Add the chicken stock and let the mixture come to a near boil
- Begin to drop the meatballs into the hot broth
- After all the meatballs are added, let them cook for a few minutes until the meatballs begin to rise to the surface
- Turn the heat down to low and add the pasta and the spinach
- Cover and let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking
- Uncover and check the flavor. It will likely need more salt and pepper and I often add a teaspoon or two of honey
- Beat the two egg yolks well and ladle a little of the soup into the eggs and mix well
- Add the egg/soup mixture back to the soup and stir.
- Serve with crusty bread, grated parmesan cheese and smooches!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 4 cloves minced garlic (Add half of it to the meatballs and half to the soup)
- 1 large onion (half of it grated into the meatballs, the other half chopped and sauteed in the soup.)
- 1 tsp salt and pepper
- 1 cup small pasta (stellate or acini de pepe is what I normally use but basically find the smallest pasta you can)
- 3 boxes of good chicken stock (I use Kitchen Basics in the yellow box, which CANNOT be beat. Each box is 32 oz)
- 1 bag of fresh spinach (Or as much as you like. I use alot, maybe 3 big handfuls, but it will wilt down and you'll wish you had added more)
- 2 egg yolks
- Good freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish (the green can stuff is okay in a pinch, but freshly grated parmesan is almost as good as wedding cake. I said almost.)
Instructions
- Chop and saute the leftover half of the onion in 2 T. olive oil over medium high heat for 3-4 min
- Add salt and pepper to the onion at this stage so you don't have to correct the seasoning so much at the end (maybe a teaspoon of salt)
- Add chopped garlic and saute another minute or two.
- Add the chicken stock and let the mixture come to a near boil
- Begin to drop the meatballs into the hot broth
- After all the meatballs are added, let them cook for a few minutes until the meatballs begin to rise to the surface
- Turn the heat down to low and add the pasta and the spinach
- Cover and let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking
- Uncover and check the flavor. It will likely need more salt and pepper and I often add a teaspoon or two of honey
- Beat the two egg yolks well and ladle a little of the soup into the eggs and mix well
- Add the egg/soup mixture back to the soup and stir.
- Serve with crusty bread, grated parmesan cheese and smooches!
You are a rock star! Thanks for the “print” button. I am making this soup this week. Thanks
Oh this sounds delicious. I just made your Greek Lemon Chicken Soup the other day and am now a huge fan of egg yolks in soup (I’ll admit it weirded me out at first). And thank you for the printer-friendly recipe!
Hmm, I haven’t ever had Italian wedding soup. Guess I need to try it. 😉 I totally relate to loving wedding cake. I never leave a wedding/shower/birthday party until after the cake is served. 😛
Oh I love Italian wedding soup! Alas, I have two kids allergic to eggs and one is also allergic to milk. So, I’ll just read the recipe and try to taste it in my imagination. When I get some motivation, I may try to figure out a way to adapt it for them. My kids love soups so maybe that should be my motivation! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Oh, you could totally do it without the eggs, just leave them out and it’ll be fine! Maybe just slightly less creamy, but same great taste.
🙂
Sounds so yummy!! I might try it with ground turkey. Excited for a new recipe! Keep them coming!!
Hahaha! I wrote two wedding cards this week, telling the happy couples not to get hung up on the whole “marriage is hard/ work” thing. Of course there are hard times, but mostly it is a joyful adventure and a great deal of fun!
Edie, have you seen this – grooms’ first look at their bride? http://www.pinterest.com/pin/78531587226702704/ It is PRICELESS. Totally made me cry. And the soup is on my menu 🙂
I saw this recipe today and happened to have everything for it! And funny, when I called my husband and said I was making Italian Wedding Soup for dinner, he said that he had seen some at the grocery store today on his lunch break and was craving it! Snow falling outside and yummy soup on the stove. Thanks, Edie!
Oh, yay! Hope y’all love it as much as we do!
🙂
There is no such thing as too many soup recipes!!!!
Edie I thought you might enjoy this quote from a book I just finished reading about the casual comfort of soup:
Soup is the wool sweater, not the little black dress. It´s the cardigan with elbow patches, not the pressed shirt and tie. (From Shauna Niequist´s Bread and Wine, p. 161)
Edie,
Just a heads up that when I try to ziplist this recipe it does your toffee chuck cookies. Not that I am not happy to have that as well but I cannot make ziplist work for this one. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
Made this last night and it was a huge hit!! My husband was working really hard to convince our 4 yr old to try the “green floaty things”, telling her how good it was, sooo yummy- so much so that after the kids were in bed, I said to him I thought he was laying it on a little thick… he said no, I just really love that soup!! Cheers!
I made meatball soup today but your recipe is looking very enticing… I wonder if my family would mind meatballs in soup twice in one week?
Thanks, Edie! Made this for dinner last night and everyone LOVED it 🙂
Do you ever make your own chicken stock? It is so easy with a leftover chicken carcass (from a roast chicken), some celery, onion, garlic, carrot and a little cider vinegar. I usually end up with about a gallon of broth, which I freeze. It is so easy and cheaper than buying stock/broth all the time. Just a thought.
I made this soup today as we are hunkered down in the midst of a winter storm. So yummy! I’m not sure which one I love best, this soup or the Pumpkin Chipotle.
You ARE the soup whisperer!
Hi! Your Italian wedding soup has been nominated as one of the “Best 100+ Italian Wedding Soup Recipes on the Net”, to vote for it please visit http://easyitalianrecipes.org/soup-recipes/best-italian-wedding-soup-recipes-on-the-net-vote-for-your-favorite/ (your recipe is positioned at #1).
Thank you for the recipe! I must be INSANE because we had this for dinner tonight. In Texas. At 104 degree outside. Very delicious and a keeper! Thanks for your website and encouragement you give!
This is such a good recipe and my kiddos all love it. After my son was diagnosed with Celiac disease last fall, I was sad I couldn’t keep it in my rotation. Just wanted to share for anyone else that is gluten-free: Break up a few handfuls of Tinkyada rice spaghetti and blend them up in your blender for a few seconds. Perfect Accini de Pepe!