This Italian wedding soup is a rich, flavorful broth built around tender meatballs, escarole, carrots, and acini di pepe pasta, and it works any night of the week.
If you love easy soup recipes try our Pastina Soup or our Italian Lentil Soup.
Posted in August 2021 updated December 2023
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This is a soup my mom has made for decades, and my Calabrian mother-in-law makes her own version too, rolling the meatballs into tiny pinches instead of full-size balls.
My husband and mother-in-law still argue about whether the pasta should cook directly in the broth or separately, I fall on the separate-pot side of that debate. My son insists on the beef meatball version, while the rest of the kids are happy with turkey, and everyone agrees the leftovers freeze beautifully for another busy weeknight.
What is Italian Wedding Soup?
Italian Wedding Soup is also known as minestra maritata ("married soup"), meaning the "marriage" of meat with greens and vegetables.
Ingredients
Ingredients for real Italian wedding soup
Check the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and directions.
Meatballs
- Olive oil- to brown the meatballs in a skillet, I use extra-virgin Sicilian olive oil.
- Ground Turkey- You could use ground chicken or ground beef, I like 80% lean.
- Egg
- Breadcrumbs- Preferably homemade breadcrumbs.
- Garlic- Use fresh garlic cloves and mince them yourself for best flavor.
- Fresh Italian Parsley
- Salt/Pepper
Soup
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onions (sweet or white)
- Chicken Broth- preferably homemade
- Salt/pepper
- Pasta-Acini Di Pepe Pasta
- Greens- Escarole is the vegetable you'll most often seen the soup made with. Kale is another option. BUT spinach is what I love, since I can easily get my kids to eat it (they love spinach!). Escarole is my favorite choice.
How to make Italian Wedding Soup: Cooking Methods
Italian wedding soup recipe with escarole is a perfect recipe for the stove top, Crock Pot, or the Instant Pot!
Stove Top
Make the meatballs and roll into 1-inch balls. If you prefer tiny meatballs, roll them even smaller. My Calabrian mother-in-law makes just pinches of the meatball mixture into the tiniest meatballs.
Gather all your ingredients together.
Brown the meatballs in batches, remove from pot. Or you could place the meatballs on a parchment lined sheet pan and cook at 400F for 15 minutes in the oven.
Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the broth (I used my own homemade chicken broth), and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium.
Add the meatballs and pasta (or, you could cook the pasta separately and add in at the end).
Simmer for 10 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
Stir in the greens (I used spinach). When ready ladle into bowls.
Slow Cooker/Crock Pot
- Make the meatballs and roll into 1-inch balls.
- In a large skillet, brown the meatballs (no need to cook them all the way, they will keep cooking in the slow cooker)
- In the slow cooker insert, add the onions, carrots, celery, broth, salt, pepper and browned meatballs.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8.
- If you want to cook the pasta in the slow cooker, add it in during the last 30 minutes (with the setting on low).
- Stir in the spinach (the spinach will cook right up so can be added at the very end). When ready, ladle into bowls.
Instant Pot Method
- Make the meatballs and roll into 1-inch balls (or smaller).
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add in the meatballs and brown them (should take about 7-9 minutes). Remove from the pot.
- Add two tablespoons of olive oil, onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the acini di pepe pasta, broth, salt, pepper, and meatballs.
- Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 5 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook for 5 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure on the Instant Pot by flicking the switch at the top with a spoon. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Stir in spinach. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese, then serve and enjoy!
- Add the acini di pepe, simmer on sauté mode for 9 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach. When ready, ladle into bowls.
Nonna's Tips for the Best Italian Wedding Soup
- Make it ahead. My mom's top tip: this soup tastes even better a day or two later. If making ahead, do not cook the pasta in the soup, add it fresh when reheating.
- Meatball meat is a personal choice. Turkey, chicken, beef, or a beef and pork blend all work. My son is firmly on Team Beef; the rest of the family is happy with turkey.
- Meatball size is up to you. My Calabrian mother-in-law rolls hers into tiny pinches. Just avoid making them too large.
- Escarole is traditional, spinach is easier for kids. Kale works too, though it does not have quite the same delicate texture as escarole.
- Acini di pepe is the classic pasta choice. If you cannot find it, ditalini or stellini are the closest substitutes.
- Cook the pasta separately if you plan to have leftovers. Pasta cooked directly in the broth keeps absorbing liquid over time and can leave you with a much thicker, starchier soup by day two. Add more broth or water when reheating if this happens.
- Frozen meatballs work in a pinch. Add them straight from frozen and let them heat through fully in the broth, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Frozen spinach is a fine substitute. Thaw a 10 oz package on the counter, pat dry, and stir in near the end of cooking.
What to Serve With Italian Wedding Soup
This soup is filling enough to be the entire meal, especially alongside crusty bread. My Crusty No-Knead Italian Bread is a natural pairing, or serve a smaller bowl alongside a simple salad or roasted vegetables if you want a lighter meal.
Storing and Freezing
- Refrigerate: Airtight container in the fridge up to 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: Airtight container in the freezer up to 3 to 4 months. For the best texture, freeze without the pasta and add it fresh when reheating.
Some other Italian soup recipes to enjoy:
- Pasta e Ceci-Italian Chickpea Soup
- Italian Lentil Soup
- Zuppa di Fagioli
- Summer Minestrone
- Garlic Rosemary Meatballs
- Orange Chicken Meatballs
- Gluten-Free Baked Spaghetti-Spaghetti al Forno
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Italian Wedding Soup With Escarole
Equipment
- Slow cooker optional
- Instant Pot optional
Ingredients
For the meatballs
For the broth
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow or sweet onion
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 large bay leaf or two smaller
- 1 cup small pasta
- 4 cups chopped escarole 1 head or 3 cups of fresh spinach chopped (in place of escarole)
Instructions
- If baking meatballs, preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the ground turkey, garlic, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, milk, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix gently with a fork. If the mixture seems too loose, add a little bit more breadcrumbs until it's a consistency you can use to form the meatballs.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a Tablespoon, scoop the meatballs into ½" round balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat to make all of the meatballs. Set aside. If baking the meatballs, place them in a 400° F oven for 15 minutes.
- If making in skillet: In large skillet, add a tablespoon of olive oil. When it's heated and shimmering, add in the meatballs and brown (you don't need to cook all the way). Brown the meatballs in batches for 2-3 minutes. The inside of the meatball will finish cooking in the soup.
- Remove the meatballs and let them drain a paper towel lined dish while you prep the soup.
- While the meatballs are baking - heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pot. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the diced onions, carrots and celery. Sauté until onion is softened and translucent - approximately 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Next, add in the broth, water, salt, pepper and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil. If using escarole, add it in now. Reduce the heat to medium. The escarole will cook pretty fast. It won't need more than 15 minutes.
- Add the meatballs. Add the pasta (if you're not cooking it in the soup, cook the pasta in a small pot of salted boiling water according to the directions on the box). Add the cooked pasta to the soup.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
- If using spinach, add it in the end and cook until it barely wilts.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Enjoy!
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Meatballs: any ground meat works, beef, turkey, chicken, or a beef and pork blend. Size is a personal preference.
- Frozen meatballs: add straight from frozen, they will take 20 to 25 minutes to heat through in the broth.
- Greens: escarole is traditional; spinach (fresh or frozen) is a milder, kid-friendly swap.
- Store: Fridge up to 3 to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 to 4 months (without pasta for best texture).
This Italian wedding soup is amazing! Such a delicious recipe.
This Italian wedding soup is so delicious! Such a cozy recipe.
You've got all the elements I love in a comfort food right here. You've got the broth, meat, and pasta in one dish. I will definitely try my hand in cooking this recipe. Love this soul food!
My family loved this recipe; it was so delicious. First time making this recipe, and it did not disappoint. Thank you!
I've been trying to re-create my Grandma's wedding soup for over 10 years. This is the closest I've found so hearty and comforting!
What a lovely soup! It brings back so many memories of my nana! She made this when we were little. This is a keeper!