Wawa Italian Wedding Soup: Hearty, Easy, Delicious

Italian Wedding Soup is a hearty dish that combines meatballs, vegetables, and pasta in a flavoursome broth. The name is derived from the Italian phrase minestra maritata, which refers to the marriage of ingredients and flavours rather than an actual wedding. This soup is typically made with ground beef or a combination of beef and pork, along with breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and vegetables like carrots, celery, and garlic. The meatballs are browned before being added to the soup, and the pasta used is typically small, such as orzo or acini de pepe. This soup is perfect for a comforting and satisfying meal.

Meatball ingredients and preparation

The first step to making Wawa Italian wedding soup is preparing the meatballs. For the meatballs, you will need ground meat. You can use a combination of ground beef and mild Italian sausage, or ground chicken, turkey, pork, beef, veal, or a mix of these meats. You will also need dry breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese such as Pecorino Romano and Parmesan, and seasonings like oregano, salt, and pepper. Fresh herbs like parsley and garlic will also add great flavor to the meatballs.

To prepare the meatballs, combine the ground meat, breadcrumbs, an egg, grated cheese, herbs, and seasonings in a bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly but be careful not to overwork the meat. Shape the mixture into small meatballs, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in size. You should have around 20 to 30 meatballs, depending on your preferred size.

To enhance the flavor of the meatballs, you can sear or brown them before adding them to the soup. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the meatballs in batches until they are browned on all sides. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels while you prepare the rest.

Browning the meatballs

Firstly, gather your meatball mixture. This typically includes ground meat (a combination of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, veal, or Italian sausage), breadcrumbs, eggs, cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix these ingredients together in a bowl, being careful not to overwork the meat. The breadcrumbs help bind the meatballs together, so they don't fall apart during cooking. Form the mixture into small meatballs, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter. You can use a scoop or shape them by hand.

Next, heat some olive oil in a large skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the pan in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook the meatballs until they are browned on most sides, turning them occasionally. This should take around 3 to 5 minutes. It's okay if they are still a bit pink in the middle, as they will continue cooking in the soup later. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Repeat this process with the remaining meatballs.

Once all the meatballs are browned, they can be set aside while you prepare the rest of the soup. Remember to add them back to the soup later to finish cooking and absorb all the flavours.

Preparing the soup

First, make the meatballs by combining the meat with the breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, and spices. Roll the mixture into small balls, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter. You can bake or fry these meatballs, ensuring they are browned on the outside but still juicy inside.

Next, prepare the soup's base. In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat and add the diced onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 6-10 minutes. Then, add the garlic and any additional seasonings, such as Italian seasoning or oregano, and cook for another minute.

Now, it's time to add the liquid. Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. You can also add beef broth for extra flavour. Once boiling, reduce the heat and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, or tender.

At this point, you can add the meatballs back to the pot and let them simmer gently in the broth. This will finish cooking them through and infuse the soup with even more flavour. Finally, add in the greens, such as spinach, escarole, or kale, and cook until they are wilted.

Your Italian wedding soup is now ready to be served! Ladle it into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of black pepper. Don't forget to serve it with some crusty bread for dipping!

Adding the meatballs to the soup

Once you've made your meatballs, it's time to add them to your soup. But before you do that, you'll want to brown your meatballs in batches in a large skillet over medium-high heat. This will take around 3 to 5 minutes, and you'll want to turn them occasionally to ensure they brown evenly. You don't need to cook them all the way through at this stage, as they will continue to cook through once they're in the soup. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate as you finish each batch.

Now it's time to start making your soup. Heat some olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add your carrots, onions, and celery, and cook until the vegetables are soft, which should take around 6 to 10 minutes. Then, add your garlic and cook for another minute.

At this point, you can return the meatballs to the pot, along with your broth, and bring it to a simmer. You can also add your pasta at this stage if you're cooking it directly in the soup. However, if you want to prevent your pasta from absorbing too much broth, it's best to cook it separately and add it to the serving bowls before ladling the soup on top.

Let the soup simmer gently for about 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Then, stir in your spinach and cook for another minute or two until it's wilted.

And that's it! You've added the meatballs to your soup, and your Italian wedding soup is almost ready to serve. Just ladle it into bowls, sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

Serving suggestions

Italian wedding soup is a hearty meal in itself, so you don't need to serve it with lots of side dishes. However, it goes well with crusty bread or a dinner roll, which you can use for dipping.

If you want to bulk out the meal, a simple arugula salad, or a radicchio salad with parmesan, would work well. For a more substantial side, you could make some garlic bread or rosemary focaccia.

If you're serving the soup as a starter, you could follow it with a main course of spaghetti and meatballs, using the same meatballs from the soup.

For drinks, a glass of wine—perhaps an Italian red—would complement the soup well.

Frequently asked questions