Description
Discover how to make delicious Italian Wedding Soup with mini meatballs from scratch. This hearty and flavorful recipe is perfect for any occasion!
Ingredients
- – 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- – ½ lb. (225 g) ground beef, 85% lean
- – 1 egg, beaten
- – 1/2 cup (120 ml) Italian breadcrumbs
- – ¼ cup (60 g) beef bacon bits
- – 3 cloves garlic, minced
- – 1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh parsley, finely chopped
- – 3/4 teaspoon (4 ml) salt
- – 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) pepper
- – 1 yellow onion, diced
- – 1 ¼ cups (300 g) carrots, diced
- – 2 celery ribs, diced
- – 8 cups (1920 ml) (1.9 liters) chicken broth
- – 2 teaspoons (10 ml) Italian seasoning
- – ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable pasta, uncooked
- – 4-5 cups (1080 ml) fresh spinach
- – salt/pepper, to taste
- – Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Carefully mix together the components for the meatballs, taking care not to overmix. Shape them into balls about 3/4-inch in size.
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Cook the meatballs in batches until browned on the outside, about 2 minutes. They will finish cooking in the soup later. Take them out and set aside.
- Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, cooking over medium heat for around 6 minutes until they become tender. Add more olive oil if necessary.
- Incorporate the minced garlic and Italian seasoning, cooking for an additional minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer.
- Return the browned meatballs to the pot and continue to simmer. Meanwhile, cook the pasta separately until it is firm to the bite. Once done, drain it and place the pasta into individual serving bowls. This prevents the pasta from soaking up too much broth if you’re storing leftovers. If you plan to consume all the soup immediately, you may cook the pasta directly in the soup or combine it with the soup in the pot.
- Mix in the fresh spinach and cook until it wilts, which will take about 2 minutes.
- Spoon the soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy your meal!
