Simple Recipes for Every Day
Italian Wedding Soup
- Serves: 6
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup Italian breadcrumbs (see Note)
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup minced flat leaf parsley
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 ribs celery, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups beef stock or chicken stock
- 1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini or tubettini
- 1 large head of Escarole, roughly chopped or 4 cups baby spinach
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup Italian breadcrumbs (see Note)
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup minced flat leaf parsley
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 ribs celery, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups beef stock or chicken stock
- 1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini or tubettini
- 1 large head of Escarole, roughly chopped or 4 cups baby spinach
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Method
Turn the oven to broil with a rack in the center. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
Make the meatballs. In a small bowl, mix together the heavy cream, breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl, gently combine the ground beef, ground pork, Parmesan, parsley and the breadcrumb mixture. Mix well, then with wet hands, form meatballs (about 1½ tablespoons each) and place on the prepared sheet pan. You should have about 35 meatballs. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned.
Make the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is glistening, add the onion, carrots, celery, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken stock, beef stock, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Once the soup is boiling, add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the meatballs and escarole and cook until the pasta is tender and the escarole is wilted, about 6-8 more minutes.
Divide the soup between bowls and serve with a squeeze of lemon, Parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Note: If you use unseasoned bread crumbs, just add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning to the meatballs.