If you've never had Italian Wedding Soup, you're missing out! The term "wedding soup" comes from the Italian phrase "minestra maritata" or "married soup," which is a reference to the flavors produced by the "marriage" or combination of greens and meat. We'll be the first to tell you, it certainly is a beautiful and delizioso "marriage"!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 8 oz lean ground beef
- 8 oz ground pork
- 1/2 cup panko or italian-style breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan, shredded
- 1 large egg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups carrots, diced
- 1 1/4 cups yellow onion, diced
- 3/4 cup celery, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 14.5 oz low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 6 oz fresh spinach, chopped
- Fresh Parmesan, shredded
How To Make
STEP 1: Make the meatballs. Add beef and pork to a large mixing bowl. Add in bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently combine and shape mixture into very small meatballs.
STEP 2: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs to skillet and cook until browned, turning occasionally to brown on all sides, about 4 minutes (note: meatballs will finish cooking in soup). Transfer meatballs to a paper towel lined plate.
STEP 3: While meatballs are browning, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onions and celery, cook stirring occasionally until veggies have softened about 6 - 8 minutes, add garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.
STEP 4: Add chicken broth to pot, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil. Add in orzo and meatballs, reduce heat to simmer.
STEP 5: Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender and meatballs have cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the spinach, stirring until wilted and combined. Top with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
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