Italian wedding soup
A soup anyone and everyone could always be in the mood for. What’s better than a delicious brothy soup, loaded with veggies that everyone agrees with, tiny meatballs to fit into each bite and pasta?! Nothing is better.
AT A GLANCE…
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Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 65 minutes
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MEATBALLS
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c parmesan
• Salt & pepper
SOUP
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 1 c diced onion
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 2 32 oz containers low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 c cooked Israeli pearl couscous
• Optional: 2-3 handfuls fresh spinach
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Meatball Steps
Add all of your meatball ingredients to a bowl and mix until just combined.
Use a teaspoon measuring spoon to measure out meatballs. You want them to be small enough that you don’t have to bite them or break them in half.
I place them on a baking sheet while I am rolling them all out to keep their shape.
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil.
In a single layer, add meatballs and turn until all sides are browned. It usually takes me 3 batches to complete. Don’t worry if they appear a bit pink (like shown in photo). They will finish cooking in the soup!
Set aside in a bowl.
Soup Steps
Prepare couscous (or tiny pasta of choice) according to package instructions.
Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a medium-large pot.
Saute diced onion.
Once fragrant, add carrots and celery until softened.
Add broth and seasoning, and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, add meatballs and couscous.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Take off heat and mix in spinach if you choose.
Serve with grated parmesan and enjoy!
STEP-BY-STEP
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First you will start by making your meatballs. They require just a few ingredients. This is the lengthiest part of this easy recipe. You’ll combine all meatball ingredients into a bowl, until just combined.
ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
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I like to add some fresh parsley to the mix because you can really taste the difference.
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Once you mix all the meatball ingredients together, you’ll use a 1 teaspoon sized measuring spoon to measure out meatballs. I like the meatballs to remain as small as possible so you can fit them on the spoon with the soup. They are bite sized enough where they don’t need to be cut or bit into to be enjoyed from your spoon.
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You’ll brown your meatballs in about 3 batches. I don’t crowd the pan because you’ll flip the meatballs as they cook so they become browned on each side. If they still remain a bit pink, that’s okay! You just want a nice cooked coating on the meatballs, and then they will finish cooking in the soup.
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Then comes the soup! You’ll want to make sure you have all your ingredients ready to go. Cook Israeli pearl couscous according to package instructions. While this is cooking, get started on your soup. First you’ll saute your diced onion in olive oil until softened and fragrant. Then you’ll add your carrots and celery. Once they are also cooked and softened, you’ll add your broth and seasonings. Bring this to a simmer.
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Once you bring this to a simmer, you’ll add in your meatballs. I just like to make sure the sauce and broth is hot enough to begin to cook the meatballs right away. As soon as your couscous is finished, you can also add it to the soup at this point.
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This soup truly comes together to be equal parts brothy and full of yummy fillings.
