Versions of the soup have been made all over the Mediterranean for centuries. It’s a nourishing meal that’s easy enough for any weeknight.
Why Is It Called Italian Wedding Soup?
Calling this Italian wedding soup"is somewhat of a misnomer since the dish is unrelated to weddings. The name is said to come from the words “minestra maritata,” which mean “married soup.” Here, rather than the couple joining together, it’s all the flavors in the pot that balance each other so well. Peasant cooks, who originally made it with vegetables they grew and scraps of meat trimmed from larger cuts, apparently liked the way the soup came together—a good “marriage” of ingredients! Romantic Italian-Americans turned it into “wedding soup,” and lots of stories emerged from there.
How To Make Italian Wedding Soup
Just shape ground pork and beef meatballs and simmer them in chicken stock, then add leafy greens and cooked pasta, and simmer. You can brown the meatballs separately in a skillet (or bake them in a hot oven) and add those caramelized balls to the simmering stock, but Nonnas in Italy would have dropped the shaped meatballs right into the soup because they didn’t have many burners to work with and some didn’t have indoor ovens. If they had kitchen gardens beside the house, they would have added whatever they grew or foraged along the countryside, like wild chicory or fennel. They used what they had. Follow their lead and use what you can find in your supermarket, including baby spinach or arugula.
What Kind of Pasta To Use
I particularly love adding Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous) to this soup. The tiny beads of pasta take the same short time to cook as regular pasta and look so pretty in the pot. For this soup, you could also use tiny stubby pasta rings called ditalini, rice-shaped orzo, or the miniscule pasta grains called acini de pepe. (I don’t recommend North African couscous for this recipe, which is made from ground durum wheat and partially cooked.)
How to Store and Freeze
Store the soup tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.This soup keeps well frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge, reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, and add a little fresh Parmesan before serving, if desired.
More Delicious Italian Soups
Minestrone Easy Tuscan Bean Soup Pasta e Fagioli Italian Sausage and Cabbage Stew Turkey Meatball Soup with Spinach and Orzo
3/4 cup tiny pasta, such as Israeli or pearl semolina couscous, orzo, ditalini, or acini de pepe
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 head or bunch escarole, Swiss chard, or kale, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
For the meatballs
1 small soft dinner roll or 2 slices white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup milk (any kind)
1 large egg
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Let the water return to a boil, lower the heat, and let the pasta bubble steadily until it is almost tender and still has a slight crunch in the middle, about 6 minutes for pearl couscous. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a bowl; set aside. Use your fingers to work the milk into the bread, like a sponge. Set aside for 10 minutes. Again, using your fingers, work the mixture until it forms a paste. Stir in the egg until incorporated. Shape into rounds with your hands and transfer to a plate. Continue until all the mixture is used; you should have about 28 to 30 meatballs. Return the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the greens and pasta are tender and the meatballs are cooked through. Taste the broth for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Ladle into bowls and serve topped with Parmesan.
