Homemade Italian Wedding Soup with Tender Chicken Meatballs: The Ultimate Comfort Food Recipe

Discover the ultimate comfort in a bowl with this hearty and filling Italian Wedding Soup! Featuring tender chicken meatballs, an abundance of fresh vegetables, and delicate pasta, just one spoonful will envelop you in warmth and coziness. This homemade recipe is surprisingly easy to make and perfect for chilly evenings or when you need a little culinary hug.

Embrace the Comfort: The Appeal of Italian Wedding Soup

There’s something uniquely comforting about a warm, steaming bowl of soup, and Italian Wedding Soup stands out as a true champion of cozy cuisine. With its bright, savory broth, perfectly seasoned meatballs, and a vibrant medley of tender vegetables and pasta, it’s the kind of dish that nourishes both body and soul. For me, these bowls of warmth often arrive just when they’re needed most, transforming a dreary day into a delightful culinary experience.

I recall a particularly memorable winter here in Houston—yes, the southern tundra! We experienced an unusual spell of crisp, biting days, coupled with not one, but two rare snowfalls. This simply doesn’t happen often in my experience living here, and while the sight of snow was a welcome change, the aftermath in the south can be quite a unique challenge. Everything shuts down. Seriously. Grocery stores struggle to keep essentials stocked, schools close their doors, and work is universally canceled. People hunker down, essentially living on a cycle of eating and sleeping. Not that I’m complaining; it’s a cherished kind of forced relaxation, especially when you’re healthy enough to enjoy it out of choice rather than necessity.

On those blustery, snowy, or relentlessly rainy days, all anyone craves is a substantial, comforting bowl of Italian Wedding Soup. It truly has everything you could wish for: tiny, delightful pasta shapes, bright green spinach, an assortment of tender, sweet vegetables, and those irresistible, perfectly formed chicken meatballs. It’s the quintessential feel-good food that wraps you in a fuzzy, delicious embrace.

More Than Just a Meal: Soup for Every Occasion

Italian Wedding Soup isn’t just the perfect dish to whip up when your entire city is in lockdown due to unexpected weather; it’s also the ultimate comfort food for those times when someone in the house is feeling under the weather. Its nourishing broth and wholesome ingredients make it a soothing balm for sore throats and weary spirits, providing gentle sustenance when it’s needed most. This recipe is designed to be straightforward, making it an excellent kitchen project for snow days or any time you have a little extra time. Enlist a helper for forming the meatballs, and you’ll have this delightful soup on the table in record time, creating warm memories along with a delicious meal.

While convenient store-bought chicken broth is always an option, I find this soup truly shines with homemade broth. As soon as autumn arrives, signaling the start of my favorite “food season” (winter!), I make and freeze boatloads of my own. If you’re inspired to try making your own, I often use my pressure cooker for a quick, flavorful batch. You can find my method for pressure cooker chicken broth here. When time allows, I also love letting it simmer low and slow on the stovetop for 8-10 hours, gently bubbling away, filling the house with its inviting aroma and developing an incredible depth of flavor that simply can’t be matched.

Crafting the Perfect Chicken Meatballs for Your Soup

Now, let’s delve into the star of our Italian Wedding Soup: the meatballs. Traditionally, veal is often used for a rich flavor and tender texture. However, to keep this recipe a bit lighter and to minimize red meat consumption, I’ve opted for ground chicken. Both ground chicken breasts or thighs work beautifully in this recipe, offering a juicy and flavorful alternative. If you prefer, ground turkey can also be used, though I find it can be a bit more challenging to prevent it from drying out, especially if you’re using lean turkey breast. The key is to handle it gently and not overcook.

I have a truly invaluable tip to share with you for making consistently tender meatballs, regardless of the type of meat you’re using. This trick applies whether you’re making my firecracker chicken meatballs, my cheese-stuffed meatballs, or the delicate ones for this soup. The secret to achieving that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness lies in combining *all* the non-meat ingredients first. That means mixing the grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, seasonings, eggs, and any liquids thoroughly *before* adding the ground meat or poultry. This method ensures that all the flavor enhancers and binders are evenly distributed without the need to excessively mix the meat. By doing so, you can take your time to get the breading and seasonings perfectly incorporated, then gently fold in the ground meat until *just* combined. This prevents the meat from being overworked, which is the primary culprit behind tough, dense meatballs. Seriously, it’s a game-changer that will elevate all your meatball dishes!

One step I particularly enjoy when preparing Italian Wedding Soup, which I highly recommend, is searing the meatballs before adding them to the broth. I understand it’s an extra step that you might be tempted to skip, and absolutely no judgment if you do! However, if you trust me on this one and take a few extra minutes to sear them, you’ll unlock a significant depth of flavor. The Maillard reaction—that magical browning process—creates complex, savory notes that infuse beautifully into the soup, adding richness and character that would otherwise be missing. It requires nothing more than a bit of time and a frying pan, and the flavor payoff is immense. As a self-proclaimed Maillard Reaction junkie, you should know by now: I’ll happily sear any meat if it promises to enhance its look and taste! It makes a world of difference.

For the pasta component of the soup, I typically use acini di pepe, which are tiny, pearl-like pasta shapes that cook quickly and add a lovely texture without overpowering the other ingredients. However, pastina or even orzo would work just as wonderfully. The key is to choose any small, quick-cooking pasta that will mingle effortlessly with the meatballs and vegetables, absorbing the delicious broth.

Serving Your Homemade Italian Wedding Soup

When your incredible Italian Wedding Soup is ready to be served, don’t forget to pair it with a generous loaf of crusty, rustic bread. There’s nothing quite like dipping a thick slice of warm, soft bread into the rich, flavorful broth. Full disclosure: I’m currently on a low-carb diet, so I couldn’t indulge in both bread and pasta in one sitting and still stay true to my dietary goals. But believe me, I dreamt of dipping that pillowy softness into the soup with every single bite. The experience is truly elevated with a good piece of bread to sop up every last drop of that amazing broth.

This recipe yields a substantial amount of soup, which is fantastic because seconds are almost guaranteed! And the good news doesn’t stop there: leftovers can also be easily frozen. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply reheat the soup and add a little extra broth or water to bring it back to your desired consistency, as the pasta tends to absorb liquid over time. This makes Italian Wedding Soup a perfect candidate for meal prepping, ensuring you always have a comforting meal ready to go.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Italian Wedding Soup

Prep Time
25 minutes

Cook Time
20 minutes

Total Time
45 minutes

Hearty and filling Italian Wedding Soup made with tender chicken meatballs and tons of veggies! Just one bowl of this stuff will have you feeling warm and cozy!

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 1/3 cup grated parmesan (or shredded)
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon half and half (or milk)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 pounds ground chicken (or veal or turkey)

For the Soup:

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups mirepoix (equal parts chopped onions, carrots, celery)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup acini di pepe (or orzo, or pastina)
• 5 ounces baby spinach, chopped
• zest of 1 medium lemon

Instructions

1. Prepare the Meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine all meatball ingredients *except* the ground chicken. Use a fork to thoroughly mix them together. Once well-combined, add the ground chicken to the bowl and mix gently with a spatula until *just* incorporated. Be careful not to overwork the meat. Shape approximately 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture into small balls between your palms and place them on a plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
2. (Optional) Sear The Meatballs: This step significantly enhances the flavor of your soup. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add about 1/3 of the prepared meatballs to the skillet and sear for 1-2 minutes, flipping as needed to brown all sides. The goal is to develop a nice color on the exterior, not to cook them through. Transfer the seared meatballs to a large plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining meatballs.
3. Assemble the Soup: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, celery) and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the minced garlic during the last 30 seconds of sautéing and stir until fragrant. Pour in the 8 cups of chicken broth along with an additional cup of water. Bring the soup to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions (my pasta box suggested 9 minutes). During the last 5 minutes of the pasta’s cooking time, gently add the seared (or unseared) meatballs to the soup. Increase the heat to high briefly to quickly return the soup to a simmer. Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat. Stir in the chopped baby spinach and lemon zest. Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

• Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. When reheating, you may need to add a bit more broth or water to achieve your desired consistency, as the pasta will absorb liquid.
• This soup freezes beautifully! Allow it to cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop, adding extra broth or water to thin if necessary.

Have you made this recipe?

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