Mastering the Art of Italian Wedding Soup

“Made the wedding soup today! Amazing! Best recipe ever. All the instructions were perfect! Thank you!” – Patty

The Untold Story: What is Italian Wedding Soup (Minestra Maritata)?

Often perceived as a quintessential Italian dish, the Italian Wedding Soup enjoyed in the US is, in fact, a delightful American adaptation. Its origins can be traced back to Italy, where it was known as Minestra Maritata, which literally translates to “Married Soup.” This evocative name doesn’t refer to actual weddings, but rather to the harmonious “marriage” of flavors between the rich, savory broth and the vibrant, often bitter, cooked greens. As Italian immigrants settled in the United States, they artfully adapted this traditional peasant soup, utilizing readily available local ingredients. Over time, this evolution led to the beloved version we know today, featuring tiny meatballs, small pasta, and healthy greens like spinach or kale.

To honor the spirit of this traditional, resourceful dish, our recipe incorporates both ground beef and ground pork (or Italian sausage) for the meatballs. This multi-meat blend pays homage to the soup’s heritage, reflecting the use of various available meats in its original Italian form. These flavorful meatballs are then enhanced with classic Italian aromatics like onion, garlic, and Parmesan cheese, building layers of savory depth.

The foundation of the soup remains its deeply flavorful broth. While traditional Italian preparations might involve boiling bones for days, we achieve a similar richness by combining beef and chicken broth. This clever pairing creates a complex and robust base, reminiscent of the deliciousness found in older, more time-intensive versions.

Pasta is an indispensable element of authentic Italian Wedding Soup. The traditional choice is the minuscule acini di pepe, whose name charmingly translates to “seeds of pepper” due to its tiny size and shape. If acini di pepe is hard to find, don’t worry! Any small pasta will work beautifully. Options like fregola, ditalini, orzo, or even alphabet pasta or tiny shells are excellent substitutes, ensuring the delightful texture of tiny pasta in every spoonful.

• Ground meat (a delicious blend of beef AND pork or Italian sausage)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• A medley of dried spices (oregano, Italian seasoning, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and fragrant thyme, plus a bay leaf for depth)
• Large egg (for binding the meatballs)
• Milk (to keep meatballs tender)
• Worcestershire sauce (for umami richness)
• Parmesan cheese (finely grated, for flavor in meatballs and garnish)
• Panko breadcrumbs (for light and fluffy meatballs)

• Aromatics (fresh garlic and a generous yellow onion for the flavor base)
• Vegetable oil (for browning those delicious meatballs)
• Hearty vegetables (crisp celery and sweet carrots)
• White wine (for deglazing and adding complexity)
• Chicken and/or beef broth (the rich foundation of our soup)
• Parmesan rind (an optional but highly recommended flavor enhancer)
• Fresh greens (vibrant spinach and lacinato/dinosaur kale, or traditional escarole)
• Tiny pasta (acini di pepe pasta, fregola, ditalini, or even fun alphabet pasta!)

In its country of origin, Italy, Italian Wedding Soup is known as Minestra Maritata. This translates to “Married Soup,” a poetic name that describes how beautifully the flavors of the rich broth and the various fresh greens “marry” or blend together harmoniously, rather than implying any connection to actual weddings.

Despite its English name, Italian Wedding Soup is generally not a dish traditionally served at Italian weddings. Instead, it is more commonly prepared and enjoyed during special occasions and holidays, particularly around Christmas or Easter time, as a hearty and celebratory meal.

The most famous and ubiquitous soup throughout Italy is arguably Minestrone. Minestrone is a broad category encompassing any thick soup made with vegetables, often featuring beans and pasta or rice. Its versatility means there are countless regional variations, with each Italian nonna likely having her own cherished recipe.

The meatballs in Italian Wedding Soup are traditionally crafted from a flavorful mixture of ground beef and ground pork, or sometimes Italian sausage. This recipe incorporates classic Italian seasonings like onion, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and oregano, ensuring a rich and aromatic taste. You can easily adapt any basic meatball recipe to suit this soup.

For authentic Italian Wedding Soup, the pasta choice is typically very small. The most popular variety is acini di pepe, which literally means “pepper seeds” due to its tiny size. However, other small pasta shapes such as ditalini, orzo, tubettini, or even finely chopped spaghetti noodles can be successfully used as substitutes if acini di pepe is unavailable.

The “green stuff” you find floating in Italian Wedding Soup is typically leafy greens, most commonly spinach or escarole. Traditionally, escarole, a slightly bitter chicory green, was a popular choice, lending a distinctive flavor to the soup. However, due to its sometimes limited availability, many home cooks, including myself, often opt for baby spinach and kale instead. These greens are milder, tender, and wilt beautifully into the warm, savory broth.

Best Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

For the meatballs

• ▢ 1/2 pound ground beef
• ▢ 1/2 pound ground pork, or mild Italian sausage
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1/2 cup milk
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ▢ 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• ▢ 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped fine, or grated
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for frying (I use light olive oil)

For the soup

• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
• ▢ 3 cups celery, chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup white wine, I used cooking wine
• ▢ 2 cups beef broth*, I use Better than Bouillon, see note
• ▢ 12 cups chicken broth*, I use Better than Bouillon, see note
• ▢ 5 large carrots, shredded or chopped
• ▢ 5 sprigs thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 parmesan rind, optional
• ▢ 3 ounces spinach, chopped
• ▢ 3 ounces dinosaur kale (Lacinato kale), (or any kale) or escarole, chopped
• ▢ 1 cup acini di pepe pasta, or fregola, or ditalini, or any tiny pasta

To garnish

• ▢ fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
• ▢ parmesan, grated, to garnish
• ▢ freshly cracked pepper
• ▢ crushed red pepper

For the meatballs:

• In a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients: 1/2 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs, 4 cloves minced garlic, and 1/2 finely chopped (or grated) yellow onion.
• For efficiency, mince 8 cloves of garlic (use half for meatballs, reserve half for soup) and chop 2 large yellow onions (half for meatballs, 1.5 for soup). Ensure onion for meatballs is very fine to blend seamlessly.
• Use your hands (disposable gloves recommended) to gently but thoroughly mix the meatball ingredients. This ensures even distribution and tender meatballs, which a spoon cannot achieve.
• In a large soup pot (such as a 6-quart Dutch oven), heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Use a 1-inch cookie scoop or your hands to form tiny meatballs. Roll them gently between your palms to help them maintain their shape while frying.
• Place meatballs in the hot oil, ensuring enough space between them for proper browning. Do not overcrowd the pan.
• Cook for approximately 1-2 minutes per side until nicely browned. Use metal tongs to carefully flip them. The meatballs do not need to be cooked through at this stage; they will finish cooking in the soup. Focus on achieving beautiful brown edges. Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning.
• Remove browned meatballs to a plate and continue browning the remaining batches, adding more oil if necessary. If the bottom of your pan becomes overly scorched (smells burnt), clean the pot before proceeding to avoid imparting a burnt flavor to your soup.

Make the soup

• Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to any remaining drippings in the pot. Set heat to medium and add the reserved 1 and 1/2 chopped yellow onions, 3 cups chopped celery, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent and softened.
• Stir in the remaining 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Pour in 1/2 cup white wine (cooking wine is fine) and use it to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (deglazing). Cook for a few minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated.
• Add 2 cups beef broth and 10 cups chicken broth (or use Better Than Bouillon bases and water – see notes). Bring the soup to a boil over high heat.
• Peel and trim 5 large carrots. Shred them using a food processor or grater, or simply chop them. Add the prepared carrots to the simmering soup.
• Add 5 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme) and 1 bay leaf to the pot.
• If you have a Parmesan rind, add it now for an extra layer of savory depth. This step is optional but highly recommended.
• Return all the browned meatballs to the soup. The soup should still be at a boil; reduce the heat to medium or medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer.
• Allow the soup to simmer for approximately 30 minutes, giving the flavors time to meld and the carrots to tenderize, and meatballs to cook through.
• While the soup simmers, prepare your greens. Remove the thick stems from kale leaves, then chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces (about 3 ounces or 4 cups). Chop 3 ounces of spinach (about 2 cups) into similar bite-sized pieces.
• Add the chopped kale, spinach, and 1 cup of acini di pepe pasta (or your chosen tiny pasta) to the soup. Continue simmering on medium heat for another 6-10 minutes, or until the kale is tender and the pasta is al dente.

  Pro Tip for Leftovers: If you anticipate having leftover soup, cook the pasta separately in a different pot, drain it, and add it to individual bowls just before serving. This prevents the pasta from absorbing too much broth and becoming mushy, ensuring your leftovers remain delicious.

• Ladle the rich Italian Wedding Soup into bowls. Garnish generously with fresh chopped parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper or crushed red pepper for a hint of spice. Serve hot with crusty French bread or Italian bread for dipping!

Slow cooker Italian Wedding Soup

• Prepare the meatballs as instructed in steps 1-6. Once browned, add the meatballs and the following ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker: 1 and 1/2 chopped onions, 3 cups celery, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 cup white wine, 2 cups beef broth, 12 cups chicken broth, 5 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 1 optional Parmesan rind.
• Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. About 20-30 minutes before serving, add 5 shredded carrots, 3 ounces chopped spinach, 3 ounces chopped kale, and 1 cup acini di pepe pasta. Stir everything together, cover the slow cooker, and turn it to high heat. Cook until the carrots are tender and the pasta is al dente. Serve garnished with chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, and black or crushed red pepper.

**I think it’s super annoying to have half a pound of beef and pork leftover. When I make this, I always double all the meatball ingredients and then split the mixed meat in half. Make tiny meatballs for the soup, then use the other half to make regular size meatballs. Bake on a foil-lined baking sheet at 450 for 10-15 minutes until browned. Let cool, then carefully place meatballs in a few ziplocks and freeze. Don’t lump them all together or they will freeze in a big mass. You can use these meatballs for any Italian dish, spaghetti and meatballs, Meatballs with Rice and Peas, Raspberry Balsamic meatballs, etc. 

Doubled meatball ingredient list:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon oregano
• 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 and 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 yellow onion, minced well
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed and minced