Homemade Wedding Soup
Growing up, my family always enjoyed this homemade wedding soup recipe. We would each pour a large bowl and dip a piece of buttered French bread into the hot broth. While this wedding soup recipe has a Healthyish twist, it still gives me all the hometown feels.
About this Homemade Wedding Soup Recipe
For this wedding soup recipe, I used ground chicken instead of ground beef. You can use ground beef if you prefer, but the chicken is a nice, light alternative. I also used spinach instead of escarole. Escarole has a heartier texture than the spinach, but both taste great. Basically, any dark leafy green will work.
You can also use store bought vegetable broth or chicken broth vs. making homemade. I like to make the homemade veggie broth because it adds an extra level of flavor that is so tasty with the soup. However, if store bought is easier for you, go with that.
One thing you won’t want to skip, is the buttered French bread and extra grated parmesan cheese on top. I also like to add a few red pepper flakes to my soup for a small punch of heat, but you can skip this step if you prefer. So, what are you waiting for? Give this tasty soup recipe a try.
Tips and Tricks for this Soup Recipe
When boiling the acini de pepe pasta, be sure to cook it al dente. Drain off any excess water using a colander and set the pasta aside. You will only add the pasta to the soup once you are ready to enjoy a bowl. Otherwise, the acini de pepe pasta will soak up a lot of broth and get soggy. You will also store the pasta separately from the broth.
If you do not have a parmesan rind, dont worry. You can add some grated parmesan cheese instead. Both options will work perfectly. Also, if you do not have time to make homemade broth, store bought is fine. Just be sure it is properly seasoned.
Finally, you will want to make sure that the chicken meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness. They most likely will not be cooked through after searing them in the hot oil. So let them cook in the hot broth for 15-20 minutes before serving the soup.
Storage
Store any leftover wedding soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat the soup in the microwave until heated through. This recipe makes 6 light servings or four hearty servings. Please see below for the nutritional information.
Looking for more soup recipes? Try my kale and white bean soup.
Homemade Wedding Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 6 ounces baby spinach
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced small
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 rind parmesan cheese , optional but recommended
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 ounces acini de pepe, al dente
Homemade Vegetable Broth
- 14 cups water
- 6 whole carrots, washed and peeled
- 8-10 stalks celery
- 2 large white onions, peeled and halved
- 5 cloves garlic, left whole
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 3-4 bay leaves
Mini Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying the meatballs
Equipment
- 1 stock pot
- 1 11-inch saute pan
- 1 small skillet
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 mesh strainer
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine water, peeled carrots, celery, onions, garlic, salt, bay leaves and bouillon cubes. Simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours.
Prepare the meatballs:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, Italian breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, and some salt and pepper. Mix well using your hands.
- Form the ground chicken mixture into small meatballs. I used about a 1/2 tablespoon sized scoop.
- Once all of the meatballs are rolled, heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in an 11-inch pan.
- Add 7-8 mini meatballs to the hot oil and sear them on all sides until they're golden brown.
- Add the golden-brown meatballs to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- Once all of the meatballs are seared, set them aside.
Prepare the soup:
- Next, grab a large soup pot. Add the olive oil and diced onions over medium heat.
- Once the onions are translucent, add the homemade broth to the sautéed onions but be sure to strain it using a mesh strainer. You do not want any of the the other vegetables in the soup.
- Next, add the mini meatballs, spinach, parmesan rind, and grated parmesan. Let everything simmer together for 30 minutes on medium/low heat.
Prepare the acini di pepe:
- Boil a small pot of water and cook the acini di pepe according to the package.
- Drain off the water using a colander. Set aside.
- You will only add the acini di pepe to the soup as you eat it. If you add the pasta to the entire pot of soup it will soak up the broth and the pasta will get soggy.
Prepare a bowl of soup:
- Taste the broth to make sure it has enough seasoning. You can add another chicken or veggie bouillon cube for some extra flavor.
- Remove the parmesan rind and add the cooked acini di pepe pasta before serving.
- Top with extra parmesan cheese and serve hot.
One Comment on “Homemade Wedding Soup”
I am in the process of making this for my mother’s birthday dinner and the scent is better than any soup I’ve ever made. I’ve just added the meatballs and wow!