This is my family’s take on Ina Garten’s Italian Wedding Soup — a comforting, savory soup with tender meatballs, vegetables, greens and small pasta cooked in a flavorful chicken broth.
I return to Ina Garten’s cookbooks often, and her version of Italian Wedding Soup from Back to Basics inspired this recipe. I made a few small adjustments to suit our taste — mostly in seasoning and in using a combination of ground chicken and chicken sausage for the meatballs — but the spirit of the original remains.
What you’ll need for the meatballs
- Ground chicken
- Chicken or pork sausage, casing removed
- Fresh white bread crumbs
- Garlic, minced
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Freshly grated Pecorino Romano
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Milk
- Extra-large egg, lightly beaten
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Forming the meatballs is the most time-consuming step, though many people find it calming. Put on music, enjoy a glass of wine, and take your time shaping small, bite-sized meatballs.
If you like, double the meatball portion and bake an extra tray to freeze for quick meals later.
- Place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a bowl.
- Combine gently with a fork, taking care not to overwork the mixture.
- Using a melon baller or a small spoon, drop 3/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment.
- You should yield about 84 meatballs.
- Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
A small melon baller makes forming uniform meatballs quick and easy. They don’t have to be perfectly round — the goal is a consistent bite-sized shape so they cook evenly.
Baking rather than frying reduces mess and yields meatballs that are crisp on the outside and tender inside.
While the meatballs bake, prepare the soup. Use a large Dutch oven or an 8-quart stockpot so everything has room to simmer and the vegetables cook evenly.
Ingredients for the soup
- Olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- Carrots and celery, diced
- Chicken broth or stock
- Dry white wine
- Small pasta such as tubetini or stars
- Fresh dill, minced
- Baby spinach, washed and roughly chopped
Soup method
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken broth and 1/2 cup dry white wine and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add 1 cup small pasta to the simmering broth and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until tender.
If you plan to serve the soup immediately, cook the pasta directly in the broth. If making the soup ahead, cook the pasta separately and add it just before serving so it doesn’t soak up all the broth.
When the meatballs come out of the oven they will be fully cooked.
- Stir the minced fresh dill into the soup, then add the meatballs and simmer for 1 minute.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Stir in the chopped baby spinach and cook for about 1 minute, until just wilted.
- Ladle into bowls and finish each serving with freshly grated Parmesan.
The greens stay bright and fresh because they are added at the last minute.
Serve and enjoy
This Italian Wedding Soup is especially good with a generous sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan and crusty bread alongside. Add a green salad if you want an even heartier meal. The finished soup is comforting, well-balanced and versatile — great for weeknights or when you want something nourishing and warming.
Ina Garten’s Italian Wedding Soup
Adapted from Ina Garten in Back to Basics
Meatballs, vegetables, greens and pasta simmered in a savory chicken broth.
45 minutes
45 minutes
1 hour 30 minutes
8 people
Rosemary Stelmach
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 3/4 pound ground chicken
- 2/3 pound chicken sausage, casing removed
- 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (about 1 ounce)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan plus extra for serving
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 cup minced yellow onion (1 medium)
- 1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots (3–4 carrots)
- 3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced celery (2 stalks)
- 2 46-ounce cans chicken broth (or homemade stock)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup small pasta (tubetini or stars)
- 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
- 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- For the meatballs, combine ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, cheeses, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Mix gently. Using a melon baller or small spoon, form 3/4-inch meatballs and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
- While the meatballs bake, heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and sauté until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and white wine and bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until tender. Stir in the minced dill and then add the meatballs. Simmer for 1 minute and taste for seasoning. Stir in the spinach and cook about 1 minute, until just wilted. Serve hot, topped with extra grated Parmesan.
Disclosure: Please note that some links in the original post pointed to recommended products. This version contains no external links. I only recommend tools and ingredients I have found helpful in the kitchen.
Other great Barefoot Contessa soups
