By: Honey & Habaneros
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20-30 min | Makes: 4–6 servings
Jump to RecipeThis Italian Wedding Soup is quick to make, full of flavor, and perfect for any night of the week.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
My family loves Italian Wedding Soup, so we have it often. Because we like it so much I came up with my Versatile Meatballs recipe to make this soup come together in a snap.
Italian Wedding Soup is a complete, comforting meal in one bowl. With Versatile Meatballs tucked away in the freezer, a batch of this homemade soup comes together so quickly and easily you might just find yourself making it every week.
How to Make H&H’s Italian Wedding Soup:
If I’m using dried herbs, I like to give them a head start in the pot I’ll be using for the soup—no oil, just a quick warm-through to wake up their flavor. Once they’re fragrant, I add a bit of oil along with chopped celery, carrots, and onion, cooking until tender. Next I add a bit of oil along with chopped celery, carrots, and onion, cooking until they’re tender. Then in goes the garlic and the meatballs—just a couple of minutes so the garlic can mellow and the meatballs can start soaking up flavor. I usually add enough meatballs so everyone gets two or three in their bowl (more if they’re small… or if we’re extra hungry).
If I’m using fresh herbs, I skip the dry-warming step and add them later in the cooking process so their bright flavors stay vibrant. Sometimes I even mix fresh and dried, depending on what I have on hand (or whether I feel like making a store run). My goal is to get an indoor herb garden going so I’ll always have fresh herbs at my fingertips—but with the kitchen remodel happening right now, the herb garden will have to wait. I’ll keep you posted on the herb garden. 😉
👉🌿When swapping dried herbs for fresh (or vice versa), keep in mind that dried herbs are more concentrated. A good rule of thumb is to use about one-third the amount of dried herbs compared to fresh. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, you’d use about 1 teaspoon dried. The drying process removes water, leaving the flavor more intense, which is why the measurements aren’t equal.
Next comes the chicken stock and any fresh herbs I’m using.
Side note: As a mom, I’m always on the lookout for ways to sneak in more veggies and keep meals exciting. If I’ve got extra veggies around, or ones that need to get used like, zucchini, broccoli, even mushrooms—they’re all fair game to toss into the pot.
About the Pasta
Acini di Pepe, which means “seeds of pepper” in Italian, is the traditional pasta for Italian Wedding Soup. Its tiny, bead-like shape is just the right size to match the small meatballs and veggies, so every spoonful has a little of everything. Plus, it adds body to the broth without overpowering it.
If you can’t find Acini di Pepe, don’t worry—you’ve got options! Other small pastas like orzo, ditalini, stelline (tiny stars), tubettini, or even small shells all work beautifully. The key is choosing a pasta that’s small enough to keep the soup balanced and spoon-friendly.
So go a little rogue and play with some of the other pastas, as long as there’s pasta in the pot, it’s still going to be a great soup. You can cook the pasta separately if you like, but I usually let it simmer right in the pot. As it cooks, it releases a little starch, giving the broth just a touch of thickening—enough to make the soup extra cozy.
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Italian Wedding Soup
Course: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4-6
servings15
minutes30
minutes300
kcalIngredients
64 oz chicken stock
8-12 Versatile Meatballs
2 tbsp neutral oil – I like avocado oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery – see note
1 small – medium onion – chopped
2-4 garlic cloves – depending on size – or how much you like garlic
Chicken bouillon – optional – see note
Herbs – see note
1/4 cup fresh basil – chiffonade or chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley – chopped – plus more for topping
2 – 4 fresh sprigs oregano
2 – 4 fresh sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 – 1 cup Acini di Pepe – see note
Salt and pepper to taste
Shaved Parmesean
Directions
- Chop the vegetables, mince the garlic and set aside.
- Add the dry herbs to a large stockpot and warm over low–medium heat just long enough to release their flavors.
- Add the oil to the herbs, then stir in the onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté until tender. Once the veggies are soft, add the minced garlic and meatballs. Give it a good stir so the garlic mellows and the meatballs pick up some of the great flavors from the veggies and herbs.
- Add the broth along with any extra herbs you’d like. Turn the heat up to medium and bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Letting it simmer longer really deepens the flavors, so don’t be afraid to give it some time.
- Add the pasta when there’s at least 9 minutes of cooking time left. At the same time, stir in any extra veggies so they cook through but still retain a bit of texture instead of dissolving into the broth.
- To serve, top with a generous pinch of shaved Parmesan and fresh parsley, and enjoy with a piece of golden garlic bread.
Notes
- Don’t toss those celery leaves — they’re a great flavor booster! Just give them a rough chop and toss them in the .same time you add the chicken stock.
- Dried herbs work just as well as fresh, so use whichever you have on hand. The only exception for me is parsley — dried parsley just doesn’t hit the same, so I stick with fresh.
- When I’m making a quick version of the soup I like to use Chicken Better Than Bouillon to give the soup that “simmered all day” flavor. I add it a little at a time — just enough to boost the taste without letting it take over.
- If using dried herbs, use approximately 1/3 the amount called for fresh, since dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor.
- For a lighter, more brothy soup use ½ cup dry Acini di Pepe, for a balanced traditional feel try 3/4 cup, and for a heartier, pasta-forward bowl go with 1 cup dry.