Italian Wedding Soup Recipe • Delicious & Comforting! | Club Foody

 

April is a very interesting month in terms of the weather. One day, the temperature seems to be on the right track, nice and warm but the following day, we don’t know what happened; it’s cold, windy and gray… yuck! There are even some snow storms that may occur in April. Until the temperature settles down to a comforting level and we no longer have to wear winter jackets, scarves and boots, I still make hot and delicious soups…
 
I have an incredible selection of recipes to choose from; West Coast Smoked Salmon Chowder, Slow Cooker Beef Barley, Broccoli Cheddar, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cream of Mushroom, etc. Another one I enjoy making often is my Italian Wedding Soup! This is an amazing one to add to your folder! With meatballs added to a nice broth with vegetables, pasta and seasonings, this is a soup your family will love!
 
Where does the name come from?
Although the title suggests it, there’s nothing to do with an actual dish served at weddings. “Minestra maritana” (married soup) refers to the combination of flavors from the meat and vegetables coming together… like a happy marriage! It’s an easy recipe and a little time consuming when making the meatballs. My chosen proteins are beef and my homemade Hot Italian Sausage. The two blended together give it so much flavorful. I prefer not using breadcrumbs and make a quick mixture of warm milk and day-old bread torn into pieces.
 
When it comes to adding cheese in the meat, I use Grana Padano. I also like to sprinkle some on as a garnish. Parmigiano Reggiano or even Pecorino can be a delicious substitute. Very soon, I’ll have a kitchen tips & tricks episode on the differences between certain cheeses in the “grana” family so stay tuned…
 
To portion the meatballs, I use my Zeroll Plum Scoop which is about 2 tsp. when rounded. What we’re looking for is to make them about 1-inch in diameter – keep in mind that this is a soup not a pasta dish with meatballs. I usually end up with 54 meatballs give or take. I cook them in the oven for about 16 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned.
 
Pasta is another ingredient in this dish and the best ones to use for this Italian Wedding Soup are the smallest like ditalini, acini di pepe, orzo, farfalline, and tubettini. I cook them for about 4 minutes before adding the cooked meatballs and the spinach which is another 4 to 5 minutes of cooking time or until the spinach is wilted.
 
I love spinach and have a lot of recipes using it like Gnudi aka Malfatti, Oysters Rockefeller, Spanakopita, Veal Florentine, Pumpernickel Spinach Dip, Pear Pomegranate Blue Cheese Salad, Creamed Spinach – Steakhouse Style, and many more. I buy the Popeye® brand that comes in a bag. They’re already in small pieces so I don’t have to chop or trim the stems.
 
Before the temperature warms up and you switch from hot to cold soup recipes, treat yourself to this delicious Italian Wedding Soup! It’s a great comfort food to enjoy this season…
Bon Appétit!
 
Check out these other amazing soup recipes…
– Turkey Noodle Soup
– Bay Scallop Chowder
– Split Pea & Ham Soup
– Minestrone Soup
– French Onion Soup Gratinée
– Corn Chowder
and for even more soup recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Soups & Chowders

For ingredient amounts, directions and much more, visit https://clubfoody.com/cf-recipes/italian-wedding-soup/