Alonti's Hearty Italian Wedding Soup: A Recipe Guide

Italian wedding soup is a hearty meal, perfect for cold winter days. The soup is made up of meatballs, vegetables, pasta, and broth. The name comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata, which means married soup, referring to the marriage of flavours in the dish.

The soup is easy to make and can be prepared on the stove top, in a Crock Pot, or an Instant Pot. The ingredients are combined and cooked, resulting in a delicious and comforting meal. The recipe can also be adapted to personal preferences, such as using ground turkey instead of beef or spinach instead of escarole.

This soup is a great option for a satisfying and flavourful meal, perfect for sharing with family and friends.

Meatballs: Combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, and onion powder

To make the meatballs for your Italian wedding soup, you'll need to combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, and onion powder. The beef should be lean, and you'll need half a pound of it. You can use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, or make your own by grinding up a slice of French loaf in a food processor. You'll need half a cup of breadcrumbs.

For the cheese, you'll need a quarter of a cup of grated Parmesan. If you want to add some extra cheese, you can also include some Pecorino Romano. You'll need half a teaspoon of dried basil, or 1 and a half teaspoons of fresh basil. Finally, add half a teaspoon of onion powder.

Gently toss the mixture and break it up with your hands to evenly coat and distribute the ingredients. Then, shape the mixture into small meatballs, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter. You can place them on a parchment-lined tray as you shape them. This recipe should make around 20-30 meatballs, depending on their size.

Broth: Use chicken broth or beef broth

Broth

Use either chicken broth or beef broth for your Italian wedding soup. You will need 8 cups of broth for this recipe.

Chicken Broth

Chicken broth is the most common choice for Italian wedding soup. It provides a rich and hearty base for the soup. The soup traditionally uses a rich, long-cooked homemade chicken stock. However, you can save time by using a combination of high-quality store-bought chicken broth and beef broth.

Beef Broth

Beef broth is another option for your Italian wedding soup. It will give the soup a deeper, richer flavour. If you are using beef broth, make sure to use regular broth, not low-sodium, as the soup may turn out bland.

Tips for Using Broth

• If you are making the soup ahead of time, the pasta will continue to absorb the broth. Have some extra chicken or beef broth on hand to add when reheating if the soup seems too thick.
• If you are freezing the soup, do not add the pasta before freezing. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator and then reheat it on the stovetop, adding the pasta and cooking until tender.
• If you are serving the soup with bread, provide a crusty, airy loaf for dipping.

Vegetables: Include escarole, spinach, carrots, onions, and celery

Vegetables are a key component of Alonti Italian Wedding Soup. The soup traditionally includes escarole, spinach, carrots, onions, and celery.

Escarole is a broad-leafed, less bitter form of endive. It is also known as zuppa di scarola or minestra marinata, meaning "married soup" in Italian, referring to the way the ingredients combine like a happy marriage. Escarole is a key ingredient that gives the soup its distinctive flavour. However, if you are unable to find escarole, spinach, kale, endive, or Swiss chard can be used as substitutes.

Spinach is another important vegetable in Italian Wedding Soup. It adds colour and freshness to the dish. Fresh spinach is typically added towards the end of cooking, as it only needs to be cooked for a couple of minutes until it is wilted. Frozen spinach can also be used instead of fresh, but be sure to thaw and pat it dry before adding it to the soup.

Carrots add sweetness and colour to the soup. They are typically diced or finely chopped and added to the soup early in the cooking process to allow them to soften and release their flavour.

Onions are another essential ingredient in Italian Wedding Soup. They provide a savoury base note to the dish. Yellow onions are typically used and are diced or finely chopped before being added to the soup. The onions are usually softened in a pot with other vegetables, such as carrots and celery, before the addition of broth and other ingredients.

Celery is the final vegetable component of Italian Wedding Soup. It adds a subtle savoury flavour to the dish. It is typically diced or chopped and added to the soup along with the onions and carrots, providing a flavourful base for the soup.

Pasta: Use orzo, acini de pepe, ditalini, or pearl couscous

Pasta is an important component of Italian wedding soup, but it's essential to use the right type. Small pasta varieties work best, such as orzo, acini de pepe, ditalini, or pearl couscous. These tiny pasta shapes ensure you get some in every bite and help to create a hearty, satisfying dish.

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that works well in Italian wedding soup. It adds a subtle texture and flavour to the dish without overwhelming the other ingredients. Acini de pepe, which are tiny, round pasta shapes, are another excellent option. They are commonly used in Italian wedding soup and can usually be found in the pasta aisle of most grocery stores.

Ditalini is another type of small pasta that can be used. These short tube-shaped pasta pieces are often used in soups and add a delightful bite-sized element to the dish. Pearl couscous is also a perfect choice for this recipe. Pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, is more like a pasta than a grain. It is small and allows you to get some in every spoonful, making it ideal for this soup.

When adding pasta to your Italian wedding soup, it's important to remember that pasta tends to absorb a lot of broth. Therefore, it's recommended to cook the pasta separately and add it directly to serving bowls, especially if you plan on storing leftovers. This ensures that the pasta doesn't soak up all the broth, and you can always boil fresh pasta when serving leftovers.

Flavour Enhancers: Try hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or mustard powder

Enhancing the flavour of your Italian wedding soup is easy. Try adding a teaspoon of hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or mustard powder to the mix. You can also experiment with different types of meat, such as ground chicken, turkey, pork, beef, veal, or a combination. Don't be afraid to load up on the garlic, either—this is an Italian soup, after all!

If you're feeling adventurous, you can even add some ground Italian sausage to the beef mixture for an extra kick of flavour. Just remember to keep the meatballs small—about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter. This will ensure they cook evenly and give your soup a nice, cohesive texture.

And don't forget the Parmesan! A good sprinkling of shredded or grated Parmesan will take your soup to the next level. As the Italians say, "minestra maritata" or "married soup," because of the delicious way the ingredients come together. So go ahead and experiment with different flavour enhancers to create your own unique version of this classic dish.

Frequently asked questions