Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 pounds ground pork
- 1 large egg – beaten
- 1/4 cups milk
- 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cups Parmesan cheese – finely grated
- 2 tablespoons parsley – finely chopped
- 1 cloves garlic – finely minced
- 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion – finely chopped
- 2 medium carrot – small diced
- 2 ribs celery – small diced
- 1 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 1 piece Parmesan rind
- 3/4 cups acini di pepe pasta
- 10 ounces escarole – chopped (~0.5 medium escaroles)
- 2 large egg – beaten
- 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese – finely grated
- 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
- Parmesan cheese – finely grated (for serving)
Instructions
1. In a bowl, combine the milk and breadcrumbs and let stand 5 minutes to hydrate. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, ground pork, the beaten egg (1 large), 0.25 cup finely grated Parmesan, parsley, the finely minced garlic (1 clove), 0.75 tsp kosher salt, 0.25 tsp black pepper, and nutmeg. Add the hydrated breadcrumbs and gently mix just until combined. Form 1-inch meatballs (about 35–40) and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic (1 clove) and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
3. Pour in the chicken stock, add the bay leaf and Parmesan rind, and season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, 5–7 minutes.
4. Add the meatballs to the simmering broth one by one. Simmer gently (avoid a hard boil) until the meatballs are nearly cooked through and any foam has risen to the surface, 6–8 minutes; skim if needed.
5. Stir in the acini di pepe and escarole. Simmer until the pasta is al dente and the greens are tender, 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick.
6. In a small bowl, whisk the beaten eggs (2 large) with 0.5 cup finely grated Parmesan and 0.25 tsp black pepper until smooth.
7. Remove and discard the bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Reduce the soup to a gentle simmer. While stirring the pot in a steady circular motion, drizzle in the egg–Parmesan mixture in a thin stream to form delicate ribbons. Cook 1–2 minutes until the egg is just set.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Let the soup rest 5 minutes, then ladle into warm bowls and serve with additional finely grated Parmesan (for serving).
Italian wedding soup is a comforting bowl of savory broth, tender mini meatballs, tiny pearls of pasta, and soft bitter greens, finished with delicate ribbons of egg and Parmesan. The flavors are balanced: rich but not heavy, herbaceous with a gentle peppery warmth, and rounded by the nuttiness of aged cheese. Each spoonful offers a pleasing mix of textures—from the spring of the meatballs to the silky stracciatella and the gentle bite of acini di pepe.
Despite the name, the soup was not created for wedding banquets; rather, it refers to the “marriage” of flavors between meat and greens. Its roots lie in Naples as minestra maritata, a rustic greens-and-pork soup served around winter festivities. Italian immigrants in North America adapted the idea, streamlining the broth, shaping the meat into small meatballs, and adding pastina—creating the Italian‑American classic beloved today.