Italian Wedding-Style Soup
This Italian wedding-style soup is made with tender mini beef meatballs, acini di pepe pasta, fresh spinach, and a flavorful chicken broth. It’s cozy, classic, and perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or meal prep — finished with plenty of freshly grated parmesan.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- ¾ lb ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- olive oil for browning
For the Soup
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 7 cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup acini di pepe
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- salt and pepper to taste
- freshy grated parmesan for topping
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Roll into small ½-inch meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Brown meatballs on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Return meatballs to the pot and simmer until cooked through (about 5–7 minutes).
- Add acini di pepe and cook according to package instructions, until just al dente.
- Stir in fresh spinach and let wilt.
- Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
- Keep meatballs small for authentic texture.
- Cook pasta just to al dente — it will continue to soften in broth.
- This soup thickens as it sits; add extra broth when reheating if needed.