Why I love this easy Italian Wedding Soup recipe: it has a delicate and flavorful broth, but is entirely hearty because it's loaded with meatballs! It's a crowd-pleasing meal that you can whip up in about half an hour.
I'm feeling pretty foolish at the moment. I've always believed that Italian Wedding Soup was a common dish at Italian weddings - please tell me I'm not the only one. From the mouth of the wizard, aka Wikipedia:
The term "wedding soup" is a mistranslation of the Italian language phrase "minestra maritata ("married soup")," which is a reference to the fact that green vegetables and meats go well together.
It's true that this soup is worthy of a wedding celebration, maybe that's why I never questioned the name. Or maybe it's because making it is so predictable, you know, like weddings.
I can hear you laughing.
Unlike soup, the best part of weddings are the things that go wrong. Our nuptial day was full of mishaps: our alter flowers were never delivered, my hair stylist forgot about me and, not to be outdone, I hadn't practiced 'tossing' my bouquet and instead launched it fly-ball style. But Keith and I have been happily married for more than 20 years and these are the things that make me smile; the things that went as planned are long forgotten.
Enough about weddings, this soup is about marrying flavors not people. It's about marrying tender greens and buttery meatballs in a savory broth. Like all good marriages, each element has a vital role, accentuating the whole without being overpowering. My version has meatballs that are a blend of beef and pork (reminiscent of the mixture in my Albondigas Soup), a generous amount of rapini (broccoli rabe), tender leeks (like those in Potato Leek Soup) and plenty of grated Pecorino.
If you search the web, you'll find that this is a soup with many variations. So feel free to improvise, swapping in your favorite greens and/or trying different meat combinations to make it your own and if you love soups that are a meal on their own, don't miss these other Italian favorites: Pappa al Pomodoro, Ribollita, and Pasta e Fagioli.
Easy Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- ¼ cup onion minced
- ⅓ cup fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ¼ cup plain bread crumbs
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Soup:
- 2 slices bacon cubed
- 2 leeks white and light green parts, halved and thinly sliced into half circles
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound broccoli rabe, curly endive or escarole cleaned and coarsely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese for topping soup
Instructions
To make the meatballs:
- In a large bowl stir together the first 7 ingredients (onion through Pecorino). Add beef, pork and several grinds of black pepper; stir until just combined or combine with your hands. (Don't overwork this mixture or your meatballs will be tough.)
- With a small scoop or teaspoon, scoop out about 1 ½ teaspoons of meat mixture and place on a baking sheet; repeat with remaining mixture. Quickly roll each portion between your palms to form a meatball.
To make the soup:
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon; cook and stir until fat has rendered and bacon is nearly crisp. Add leeks; cook and stir until tender, about 2 minutes. Add stock and bring to boil.
- Add meatballs and broccoli rabe or other green to boiling broth; reduce heat and simmer until meatballs are cooked through and greens are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with a generous pinch of Pecorino Romano cheese and serve.
We love Italian wedding soup! I just made a pot myself the other day, but didn't get to post it yet. Hopefully will do it soon! love the eggplant based veggies balls in yours yummy idea!
Lol I love this post. I totally thought Italian wedding soup was served at Italian weddings too, so don't worry! And I can't believe your hairstylist forgot about you!! Craziness! But it's so fun to read about you and Keith - you guys are the real deal! <3
Just like this soup because man oh man...it looks so so yummy! I am waiting to go to brunch right now and looking at your soup is not helping!! I'd like a big bowl of this please!! 🙂
Aww, thank you, Beeta!! xoxoxo
We can be foolish together- I totally had the same misconception 🙂 Whatever its origin, Italian Wedding soup is one of my faves and I am so craving a big bowl of yours right now! It looks awesome!
Thank you, Sonali!
It's funny, now that you mention it, I thought this soup was served at Italian weddings too! 🙂 Meat and greens are definitely a perfect marriage and I love your use of broccoli rabe here. I agree 100% - it's always the things that don't go as planned that give us the best memories! xoxo
Isn't broccoli rabe great! I love that touch of bitterness...Thank you, Faith...xo
I'm ashamed to say I'd never heard of this soup until today, but I definitely thought it was soup eaten at an Italian wedding when I saw the title!
Really happy to have been put right so soon in my relationship with this gorgeous-sounding meal.
It sounds like my sort of food, that's for sure. Super easy but very flavourful. I love it!
haha, at least your mistake wasn't 44 years long... 🙂 Yes! you'll love this soup, Helen. I'd love to make you a big bowl of it myself...xo
Hi Marissa! This is such a lovely soup in many ways! Broccoli rabe does not "live" here, so I would substitute kale. I've discovered over the years that things rarely go as planned so it's best to just just adapt and go with the flow! 🙂
I think kale is a wonderful substitute, Dorothy! We don't often have broccoli rabe here either, I was so excited to see it at Whole Foods the other day. Do you have Chinese broccoli (also called Gai Lan) where you are? That's one veggie that I absolutely love and can only find it here at our Summer farmer's market...I wish I could get it year round.
I love Italian wedding soup! Your recipe looks tasty 🙂
Thank you, Sabrina! I'm planning to make those mussels you posted sometime this week - they look soooo good!
Hehe I didn't know where the name came from. I love that pic of you tossing your bouquet too! 😀
It only took me 44 years to figure it out... 😉 I have to admit that I feel a tiny wave of embarrassment (haha, never thought about "bare ass ment" - but it does feel that way to show yourself doing something so ridiculous), but mostly it makes me laugh.
My Dear Pretty Lady, soup is our winter bag so we must hurry. Soup is the only thing I like about winter. I am blessed to have a 53 year synergistic marriage - one plus one equals three.
Beautifully said, Ken...and 53 years? How wonderful...
I've missed you! Glad you mixed the beef and pork, that's my kinda meatball! Your line "Like all good marriages, each element has a vital role, accentuating the whole without being overpowering." is fantastic, so true.
I also never knew that about the soup name, I was in your camp for sure, but don't tell anyone 😉
You're so sweet to me, Kevin, thank you! How long have you and Dave been together now? If I remember right, it's even longer than Keith and I...
I never knew why it was called Italian Wedding soup, but that totally makes sense! I love this soup but I'm actually a bit embarrassed to say I have only had the pre-made version. I have never actually had homemade Italian Wedding Soup!!! I so need to make this! Gorgeous photo, Marissa! And I love your super bouquet toss 😛
whew, I'm not alone! haha, when you say pre-made, I only hope you don't mean Campbell's. 🙂 I think that's the first variety I ever had - such a sad version with those tiny marble meatballs...I keep thinking about that miso pork belly bowl of yours...just showed it to Keith and he said, "Yes, please!!!" Happy Saturday, my sweet friend. xo