Meatball Magic: Hearty Italian Wedding Meatball Soup

Italian wedding soup is a hearty dish that combines juicy meatballs, vegetables, and pasta in a rich and flavourful broth. The name wedding soup comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata, which means married soup, referring to the harmonious blend of flavours in the dish. While the traditional soup uses a long-cooked homemade chicken stock as its base, you can save time by using a combination of store-bought broth, wine, and vegetables to achieve a similar depth of flavour. Making the meatballs is the most tedious part of the process, but with some help, it can be a fun and engaging activity. This soup is perfect for a cold evening and is sure to impress your family and friends.

Meatballs: combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper

To make the meatballs for your Italian wedding soup, you'll need to combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Start by preparing your ingredients. Gather your ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh basil leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust the measurements based on your desired yield and taste preferences.

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef. You can also opt to use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage, or even ground turkey or chicken, for added flavour and tenderness.

Next, add the egg to the bowl. The egg will act as a binder, helping to hold the meatballs together and giving them a tender texture. Crack the egg into the bowl and whisk it briefly with a fork to break it up and make it easier to mix.

Now, it's time to add the dry ingredients. Measure out your breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, and chopped fresh basil leaves. Add these ingredients to the bowl. The breadcrumbs will help bind the meatballs and add texture, while the Parmesan and basil contribute to the overall flavour.

Don't forget to season your meatball mixture with salt and pepper. Season generously, but be careful not to overdo it, as you can always adjust the seasoning later if needed.

Using your hands or a fork, gently mix all the ingredients together until they are well combined. Make sure everything is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Once your meatball mixture is ready, it's time to shape it into meatballs. Wet your hands with cold water to prevent the mixture from sticking, then take small portions of the meat and roll them into balls. Aim for a uniform size, such as 1-inch or tablespoon-sized meatballs.

Place the shaped meatballs on a prepared baking sheet or platter. You can cook them right away or even prepare them in advance and refrigerate or freeze them until you're ready to make the soup.

There you have it! You've successfully combined the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper to create delicious meatballs for your Italian wedding soup.

Broth: use chicken broth for a rich and hearty base

Broth is an essential component of Italian wedding soup, providing a rich and hearty base for the dish. While some recipes call for chicken broth specifically, others suggest that a rich vegetable broth would also work well. The choice of broth adds depth and flavour to the soup, enhancing the overall taste experience.

For a truly authentic Italian wedding soup experience, making the broth from scratch is recommended. This allows for a more complex and robust flavour to develop, elevating the dish. To make the broth, combine a whole or cut-up chicken with water, onion, carrots, celery, fresh herbs, and spices in a large stockpot. Bring the mixture to a boil before reducing to a gentle simmer for several hours. This process extracts the flavours from the ingredients, creating a rich and flavourful broth.

For those short on time, store-bought chicken or vegetable broth can be used as a convenient alternative. However, it is worth noting that the quality of the broth will impact the final taste of the soup. Opting for a high-quality, flavourful broth will enhance the soup's overall taste.

Additionally, some recipes suggest fortifying the broth with wine to add a touch of acidity and balance out the richness. This technique can be particularly useful when using store-bought broth to boost the flavour profile of the soup.

The broth serves as the foundation of Italian wedding soup, bringing together the meatballs, vegetables, and pasta. By selecting the right type of broth and paying attention to its preparation, you can create a truly exceptional soup that delights the senses and nourishes the soul.

Vegetables: add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for flavour

Vegetables are a key component of Italian wedding soup, providing a flavourful base for the broth. To make this soup, you'll need to add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for flavour. Here's a detailed guide:

Preparing the Vegetables

Start by finely chopping or dicing one medium yellow onion. You'll need about 1 to 1.25 cups of chopped onion. Next, prepare the carrots. You'll need about the same amount of carrots as onion, so chop or dice 1 to 1.25 cups worth. For the celery, you'll need slightly less, around 3/4 cup, so adjust accordingly and chop or dice two celery stalks.

Cooking the Vegetables

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add olive oil—around 1 to 2 tablespoons—to the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Cook this mixture, stirring frequently, for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.

Adding Garlic

At this point, you can add the garlic. Mince or finely chop 3 to 4 cloves of garlic and toss them into the pot. Continue cooking for another minute or so, stirring frequently, to ensure the garlic is evenly distributed and doesn't burn.

Building Flavour

Now, you can start building the soup by adding the broth and other ingredients. The vegetables you've prepared and cooked form the flavour base for the Italian wedding soup, enhancing the broth and complementing the meatballs.

Storing and Serving

Italian wedding soup is best served hot, often with grated Parmesan cheese and warm, crusty bread on the side. If you have leftovers, you can store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, adding more broth or water if needed.

Additionally, this soup freezes well. Portion it into freezer bags or containers and freeze it flat for up to three months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and then reheat it on the stovetop. If you plan to freeze the soup, it's best to leave out the pasta, as it can become mushy when thawed and reheated. Instead, cook the pasta fresh and add it to the reheated soup.

Pasta: use orzo, ditalini, or acini de pepe

When it comes to pasta, you have a few options for making Italian wedding meatball soup. You can use orzo, ditalini, or acini de pepe. These small pasta varieties work well in this soup as they add texture and heartiness to the dish without overwhelming the other ingredients.

Orzo is a type of short-cut pasta that looks similar to rice. It is a versatile option that works well in soups, salads, and as a side dish. Ditalini is another type of small, tubular pasta that is often used in soups. Acini de pepe, meanwhile, are tiny, round pasta shapes that can usually be found in the pasta aisle of your local grocery store.

If you are unable to find acini de pepe, orzo is a suitable substitute. Additionally, if you prefer a soup with a brothy consistency, you can reduce the amount of pasta used in the recipe.

Assembly: brown the meatballs, then add vegetables, broth, pasta, and spinach

To assemble your Italian wedding meatball soup, start by browning the meatballs. Heat some olive oil in a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches and cook until they are browned on all sides, turning them occasionally. Depending on the size and shape of your pot, you may need to do this in two batches. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate and set them aside.

Next, add the vegetables to the same pot. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until they are softened. This should take around 6 to 8 minutes. You can add a splash of olive oil if needed. Then, add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for another minute.

Now it's time to add the broth. Pour in the chicken broth and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the broth to a boil.

Once the broth is boiling, it's time to add the pasta. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and add the pasta, cooking it until it is al dente, or according to the package directions.

Finally, add the spinach and meatballs back to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup for a few minutes until the spinach is wilted and the meatballs are heated through.

Your Italian wedding meatball soup is now ready to be served! Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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