Italian Wedding Soup with Mini Pork Meatballs

Italian wedding soup with chicken bone broth and escarole garnished with parmesan cheese.

Italian Wedding Soup with Mini Pork Meatballs

Italian wedding soup is a cold weather favorite of mine made with mini pork meatballs (I use a combination of ground pork and pork sausage), acini de pepe pasta, onions and greens in a rich and savory chicken bone broth.

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Servings

Calories 595kcal

Author Kylie Mazon-Chambers

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

¾ pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
¾ pound ground pork
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

For the soup:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
8 cups chicken bone broth
½ cup acini de pepe pasta
3 cups chopped escarole, or another green like spinach
Kosher salt, as needed
Grated Parmesan, for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the meatballs:

In a large bowl combine the pork sausage, ground pork, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then use your hands to combine the mixture.
Scoop the meatballs in heaping 1 teaspoon portions and roll in your palms to shape into balls. Set aside on a baking sheet - you should have about 60 meatballs.

For the soup:

In a large skillet over medium heat add 3 tablespoons (45g) of the olive oil and heat through. Working in batches, add the meatballs to the skillet. Cook until the meatballs are just cooked through and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to a platter or clean baking sheet.
After all the meatballs have cooked, return the large pot to medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and heat through. Add the onions and sauté until tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about an additional 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Add the escarole to the soup in batches, stirring until wilted. Add the meatballs and cooked pasta, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Roll the meatballs very small so they cook quickly and evenly in the soup, staying tender without falling apart.

Nutrition