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olive garden italian wedding soup recipe

Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef and pork blend
  • 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, divided
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin coins
  • 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup acini di pepe pasta
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed

Method
 

  1. Combine the ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp parsley, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix just until combined, then roll into 3/4-inch meatballs and set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots, and celery for 6 minutes until softened. Add the remaining 1 clove garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
  3. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop in the meatballs and reduce to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the acini di pepe and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender.
  5. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the baby spinach and let it wilt for 1 minute. Ladle into bowls and top with extra Parmesan and the remaining 1 tbsp fresh parsley.

Notes

If you plan to have leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it per bowl when serving so it doesn't soak up all the broth overnight. The meatball mixture can be made and refrigerated up to a day ahead, which cuts the active cook time down significantly on a weeknight.