Freezing & Storing Leftover Soup
If you have leftover Italian wedding soup, you can store or freeze it for later use. Store leftover soup an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze leftover soup, let the soup cool completely. Once cooled, add the soup to an air tight container, freezer-friendly plastic bag, or souper cubes. Store the soup in your freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat frozen Italian wedding soup you have two options. You can either thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator OR add the soup directly to the slow cooker or Instant Pot & thaw on the warm setting!
Meatballs For The Soup
This soup tastes best with homemade meatballs. We use ground beef and ground pork in this recipe, but you can substitute for all ground beef or all ground pork, if desired. Shape the meatballs into 3/4 inch to 1-inch balls and cook until brown. You can substitute store-bought meatballs for the homemade meatballs. If using uncooked store-bought meatballs, cook them until brown on all sides. If you use cooked store-bought meatballs, you can skip the first step of prepping the meatballs.
So What Is Italian Wedding Soup
Well, according to the internet, the term wedding soup comes from the Italian language phrase minestra maritata or married soup. This is a reference to the flavor combination of meat and greens. If I hadnt googled, this never would have crossed my mind. My thinking was that this soup had something to do with an Italian wedding, but I obviously was way off.
Traditionally, wedding soup is made with meat , vegetables, and chicken broth. It also commonly has a small cut pasta such as acini di pepe or orzo, and more often than not, parmesan cheese too.
Also Check: Campbells Soup Chicken Casseroles
If You Want Leftovers
The key is to boil the pasta separately from the soup. I know this is an extra step, but if you want to enjoy a brothy bowl of soup later, this is how you should do it.
I know a lot of recipes will tell you to just boil the pasta in the soup. But if you want leftovers, the pasta will soak up all the broth, which is a major bummer. Therefore, I boil the pasta separately and then add it to each bowl of soup. The heat from the broth will warm the pasta, making leftovers great for lunch the next day.
My favorite part about this soup? The smells throughout the house as this simmers away. Something about a simmering pot of chicken soup is so comforting on a cold wintry day. If I had an Italian grandma, this is what I would imagine her kitchen would smell like.
But since I dont have an Italian grandma, Ill just be over here making this myselfon a weekly basisfrom now until the spring flowers start blooming. Bring on all the garlicky, lemony, and slightly cheesy pasta filled soup. With a side of bread and extra cheese, of course.
If you make this healthier Italian wedding soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, dont forget to tag me on ! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
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- 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2-1/2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 1 cup acini de pepe pasta, uncooked
- 3/4 cup carrots
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What Is Italian Wedding Soup What Makes This One Healthy
Italian wedding soup is a soup that usually contains green vegetables and meat it is popular at Italian-American restaurants. There are several variations of the soup, ranging from using small meatballs to using sausage, or even adding chicken to the soup. The greens also can vary from escarole, kale, and spinach . The soup also usually includes pasta of some sort, usually small in shape . I used pastina here, and I love it.
Really, this soup is very easy to make, and has very simple flavors. The most time consuming part of making this soup is rolling out the tiny meatballs, but I promise, its worth it. Each bite of soup has a tiny meatball, some pasta, broth, and vegetables, and its filling and absolutely delicious.
What makes this version healthy? Not much has been tweaked here, except that I use olive oil spray instead of olive oil and I use 96/4 extra lean ground beef, as opposed to the traditional Italian mix for meatballs, which can include veal, pork, and a higher fat beef.
All in all, this soup is made with real ingredients, and something you can feel good about eating. You can also feel good about feeding your family this soup because of the quality of ingredients used.
The Best Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
Im a big fan of a one pot meal and a good hearty soup is my favorite. Soups are quick, easy, filling, and I love them. This Italian Wedding Soup has been on my menu countless times since I first made it and I am still not tired of it!
Seriously, this soup is the perfect combination of all my favorite things. It has tender chicken meatballs, a flavorful broth, hearty white beans, and plenty of fresh veggies. Served with a side of crusty bread and an extra dusting of parmesan, this soup is cozy perfection.
Read Also: Lipton Onion Soup Chicken And Rice
Italian Wedding Soup Ingredient Substitutions
Spinach The spinach can be substituted with chopped kale.
Ground Chicken Ground turkey, beef or a combination of pork and beef can be used instead of ground chicken.
Orzo As I mentioned above acini de pepe is the traditional pasta for this soup. Any small pasta such as stellini, tubetti, or ditalini would also be good substitutions.
Panko My preference is to use panko in meatballs, but you can use traditional dry bread crumbs if you prefer. If you choose to use Italian seasoned bread crumbs in the meatballs youll want to cut back the amount of Italian seasoning you add to them.
More Soup Recipes You Might Like
- 8ozlean ground beef
- 8ozground pork
- 1/2cupfresh hearty white bread crumbs*
- 1/4cupchopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2tspminced fresh oregano
- 1/2cupfinely shredded parmesan
- 1large egg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1Tbspolive oil
- 1 1/4cups1/4-inch diced carrots
- 1 1/4cupsdiced yellow onion
- 3/4cup1/4-inch diced celery
- 4clovesgarlic, minced
- 5 cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1cupdry acini de pepe or orzo pasta**
- 6ozfresh spinach, chopped
- Finely shredded parmesan, for serving
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Ingredients For Italian Wedding Soup
- ground chicken ground turkey can be used too. I recommend using 93/7% lean.
- panko gluten-free panko is available at many stores if you need the recipe to be gluten-free.
- parmesan cheese Use the good stuff and not the powder in the green can.
- Italian seasoning
- garlic
- low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- parmesan cheese rind adding the rind gives the soup great flavor. I always keep my rinds in a freezer bag in the freezer so I have them on hand for soups like this.
- fresh dill
- orzo if you can find acini de pepe that is the traditional pasta that is used in this soup.
- baby spinach
Wild Rice Soup Recipe
Did you know you can have homemade soup ready in just 30 minutes? Talk about a deliciously quick comfort meal! A steaming bowl of this cozy Wild Rice Soup is just the thing for chilly fall or winter days, but you might even find yourself serving this tasty dish all year long. Take out your favorite bowls, and get ready to ladle up some of the best Wild Rice Soup around!
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Total Time 30 minutes
- Stir in half-and-half heat just to a simmer . Top with almonds and parsley.
EASY VEGETABLE-BEEF SOUP RECIPE – BETTYCROCKER.COM
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- Stir remaining ingredients into beef mixture in Dutch oven. Heat to boiling over high heat reduce heat. Cover simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. Ladle soup into 6 bowls.
WILD RICE SOUP RECIPE – BETTYCROCKER.COM
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- Stir in half-and-half heat just to a simmer . Top with almonds and parsley.
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PARTY ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP RECIPE | ALLRECIPES
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Notes On Low Carb Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup
- We use our Low Carb Air Fryer Meatballs to make this soup low carb. If you do not have an air fryer, you can still use this recipe and make the meatballs in a skillet until they are cooked through.
- We use our 6 quart multicooker to make this recipe, but you can use any 6 quart slow cooker.
- All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline. Recipes should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.
- Looking for more recipes? Our Recipe Finder can help you find exactly what you need.
- Check out all our favorite recommendations for cookbooks, slow cookers and low carb essentials in our .
- As with any of our recipes, carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly. As a result, your nutritional content depends on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish. The auto-calculation is just an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.
Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
In the cooler months when you are craving something warm and comforting for lunch or dinner, look no further than this Healthy Italian Wedding Soup. This is not your average soup: it’s packed with flavor and textural components like lean beef meatballs, mini pasta, and fresh spinach. This soup is easy to make, family-friendly, and healthy. Made with all real ingredients, you can feel good about eating this soup and serving it to your family. Enjoy it on its own, or serve it alongside a salad or sandwich for a bigger meal.
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Heres How To Make A Healthier Italian Wedding Soup
It starts with the mini chicken meatballs. Most of the time wedding soup is made with either pork or a combination of pork and sausage. Since this is Healthy January, I wanted to use something a little leaner, so I went with ground chicken. I mixed fresh parsley, oregano, and a touch of smoked paprika for additional flavor. And of course, a bit of parmesan cheese too.
Once youve formed the meatballs the soup comes together pretty quickly. Its a matter of cooking up a good amount of garlic, carrots, and celery. Then add the broth and simmer along with a parmesan rind and the meatballs.
Instead of pan-frying the meatballs, I simply simmered them in the soup, which is not only easier, but healthier too. Youll also never end up with a dry meatball. Since the meatballs only take twenty or so minutes to cook, I like to use this time to boil the pasta. I used acini de pepe, but orzo would work just a well.
Once the meatballs are cooked through, stir in the spinach and plenty of lemon juice. And thats it, just be sure to serve each bowl with crusty bread and additional parmesan cheese. In my book, theres no other way to do an Italian soup.
How To Make Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
There are two main parts to this recipe: making the meatballs, and cooking the soup.
Making the mini meatballs
These mini meatballs are the star of the show. To make these mini meatballs, simply combine all of the meatball ingredients into a mixing bowl. Make sure the parsley and garlic cloves are minced super fine so that they blend into the meat . Once the meat is mixed, form small meatballs with your hands. The meatballs should be 1/2-3/4 in diameter you will get anywhere from 40-50 meatballs. The size can vary slightly, it doesnt matter. The more rustic the better!
To cook the meatballs, preheat a frying pan over medium to medium high heat. Add olive oil spray. Working in batches, cook the meatballs for 2 minutes per side. You are not looking to fully cook the meatballs, you are just looking for a golden brown outside. They will finish cooking later in the soup. Once done, remove the meatballs and set them aside on a plate.
Making the soup
While the meatballs cook, start the soup. Dice the carrot, onion and celery. Mince the garlic. Put a large pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium high heat. Add olive oil spray, and then sauté the carrot, onion and celery. Cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes or until they are tender. Then, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
This recipe makes 6 portions at a heaping 1.5 cup each.
Read Also: Publix Split Pea Soup Recipe
Substitutions For Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
There are lots of substitutions for this Italian wedding soup recipe.
Meat You can use any meat for the meatballs. Chicken or beef will work fine, but we prefer turkey.
Pasta Pasta can be subbed in for zoodles if youd like
Other vegetables You can add in cauliflower rice to this soup if youd like. Feel free to add more carrots, celery or onion.
What can be served with Italian Wedding Soup? This soup is hearty and filling on its own but it also goes great with a loaf of bread, or alongside a sandwich!
Can this Italian wedding soup be frozen? Yes it can! Store your soup in an airtight containers. I love Souper Cubes for freezing soup. Code CLEANEATING10 works to save $$!
When youre ready to eat, defrost the night before by leaving this in the fridge, or take out of the refrigerator and heat over the stove/in the microwave. Separation is normal and ok! Just stir it up.
I would not recommend storing this soup with the zucchini noodles in it. It will also not freeze well with the zucchini noodle added to it. The zucchini noodles absorb water, so its to store them separately if you dont want a mushy mess!
Ive included some important tips below, make sure to read them before making this soup!
Skinny Italian Wedding Soup
Each main course serving has just 202 calories and 3 grams of fat.
- ½ pound extra lean ground beef or turkey, see healthy benefits
- ¼ cupPanko crumbs or bread crumbs
- ½ cuponion, shredded or minced
- 1 egg, I like Egg-lands Best, see healthy benefits
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoonsalt
- 10 cups Swansons reduced-sodium chicken broth or your favorite
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon dry Italian seasonings
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 cancannellini beans rinsed and drained, see shopping tips
- 6 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
Ingredients for Topping: Optional
- 8 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Also Check: Extra Large Soup Bowls
Tips For The Best Italian Wedding Soup
This is my idea of the best Italian Wedding Soup! What makes it the best youre likely asking? Its a number of things so here we go:
- Searing the meatballs is a game changer in my opinion. Why just simmer them in broth them when you can brown them first add add all that flavor?
- Make the meatballs small. This is soup, not a big bowl of pasta.
- Use fresh herbs. They really add great flavor.
- Stick with the combination of the two meats.
- Use fresh bread crumbs. Again were building better flavor. The texture of dry would throw this recipe off anyway.
- Dont be skimpy with the garlic. This is an Italian soup. I like to use 4 cloves here.
- Bring on the parm! The shredded parmesan will really compliment the soup nicely. It may not be pictured as a finishing garnish, but dont leave it off!
- Stick with tiny pasta, I love how it sets this soup apart.
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Italian Wedding Soup is hearty, delicious, warm-your-soul soup! The broth is very easy to make and quite light, while the meatballs and pasta give the soup substance.
I always like to keep a batch of homemade Italian meatballs stocked in the freezer for soups like this as long as theres meatballs in the freezer, this is an easy soup recipe to whip up anytime as the remaining ingredients are pantry staples. Then all you need is 30 minutes to get a steaming bowl of Italian wedding meatball soup on the table.
Recommended Reading: Aldi Cream Of Chicken Soup
Other Ways To Make This Recipe
To lighten up the meatballs, I used a pound of ground chicken and a couple of hot Italian turkey sausage links. But if you want more sausage and less ground chicken in yours, feel free to adjust the ratios! Youll want about 1¼ pounds of meat total.
If you dont have whole wheat orzo, any small pasta or brown rice will do. You could also make this soup with short-grain brown rice. Just be sure to cook the pasta or rice for the amount of time indicated on the package before you add the dill and meatballs.
The one ingredient you must not substitute or leave out is the fresh dill! It adds so much flavor to this soup. I consider it a mandatory ingredient.
What Is Italian Wedding Soup
Italian Wedding Soup is a brothy soup made with a combination of chicken and beef broth, meatballs, small pasta, and spinach or other greens. Contrary to the name, it is not served at Italian weddings. Instead, the name comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata which translates to wedded soup. Its said to be a reference to how well the different flavors come together, like a marriage.
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