Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Meatballs
A light, comforting Italian wedding soup with tender homemade chicken meatballs, spinach, and small pasta in a savory broth. It comes together in under an hour, meatballs included.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 312.93kcal
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup small pasta acini di pepe or pearl couscous
- 4 cups baby spinach or chopped escarole
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Grated parmesan for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Roll into 1-inch meatballs; you should have about 24–28.1 pound ground chicken, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup grated parmesan, 1 egg, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Brown for about 4–5 minutes, gently turning to brown two or three sides. They do not need to be fully cooked yet. Transfer the meatballs to a plate.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil if the pot looks dry. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.1 yellow onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.3 garlic cloves, 8 cups chicken broth
- Return the browned meatballs and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the pasta and simmer according to the pasta's package directions, usually 7–10 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F.1 cup small pasta
- Stir in the spinach or escarole and cook for about 2 minutes, until wilted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.4 cups baby spinach or chopped escarole, Salt and black pepper
- Serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan.Grated parmesan
Notes
- Keep meatballs to about 1 inch so they cook through evenly with the pasta.
- Don't overmix the meatball mixture, or they'll turn dense instead of tender.
- Brown the meatballs the full 4 to 5 minutes before adding them to the broth, or they can fall apart during the simmer.
- Watching sodium? Use low sodium chicken broth and taste before adding extra salt.
- Out of ground chicken? Ground turkey works in the exact same amount.
- Short on time? Thawed, fully cooked chicken or turkey meatballs can replace the homemade ones, added straight into the simmering broth.
- Meatballs can be shaped a day ahead or frozen raw, thaw overnight before browning.
- Freezing leftovers? Leave out the pasta and add it fresh when reheating, since it turns mushy once frozen.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 312.93kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.64g | Protein: 22.45g | Fat: 11.8g | Saturated Fat: 3.14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.91g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.13g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 102.19mg | Sodium: 1749.7mg | Potassium: 759.88mg | Fiber: 2.49g | Sugar: 4.23g | Vitamin A: 5473.55IU | Vitamin C: 10.77mg | Calcium: 110.67mg | Iron: 2.35mg
