Easy Italian Wedding Soup with Mini Meatballs

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This easy Italian Wedding Soup is cozy, comforting, and packed with tender mini meatballs, pasta, spinach, and Parmesan cheese. It’s a simple soup that’s perfect for a chilly night and makes a delicious family-friendly dinner.

This version of Italian Wedding Soup is one of those meals that feels like it took all day to make, but it actually comes together super quickly. The broth is flavorful, the little meatballs are hearty, and the pasta makes it filling enough for dinner. A loaf of crusty bread on the side is a must!

My husband’s family makes the most incredible homemade Italian Wedding Soup. And it is labor intensive. I love to make a batch of mini meatballs and freeze them for when we are craving the tastes of home.

With my frozen mini meatballs I can whip up a batch of wedding soup in no time at all! (I’m talking like 20 minutes!). It’s the best meal on a cold or rainy day. Plus the soup freezes well!

It’s perfect to bring to a family with a new baby, someone who is recovering and needs a warming meal, someone grieving, or send it with your college student back to school.

Why You’ll Love This Italian Wedding Soup

• Easy weeknight dinner: Simple ingredients and minimal prep.
• Uses homemade or frozen meatballs: A great way to use meatballs you have on hand.
• Family-friendly: Small meatballs and little pasta make this an easy soup for kids to enjoy.
• Freezer-friendly: You can freeze the soup for an easy meal later.

It just warms the soul.

Serve this savory soup alongside a big salad with lemony vinaigrette, or this 1905 Colombia Restaurant salad would be delicious, as well as a big loaf of Italian bread and dinner is done.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked recipe for mini meatballs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup acini di pepe pasta
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, optional
• Large pot- I’m using this Dutch oven

How to Make Italian Wedding Soup

Sauté the onion and garlic

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened.

Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Pour the broth

Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Add the Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.

Bring the broth to a boil.

Then, the meatballs and pasta

Add the cooked mini meatballs and pasta to the boiling broth.

Reduce the heat and simmer for about 8–10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.

Spinach

Stir in the spinach (or use chopped kale or escarole) and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the greens are wilted.

Cheese it up

Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Give the soup a taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

What Kind of Pasta Should I Use?

You can use just about any small pasta you have on hand. Acini di pepe is traditional. Orzo, elbow, and ditalini are all great choices.

Can I Use Frozen Meatballs?

Absolutely! Homemade mini meatballs are delicious in this soup, but frozen cooked meatballs work, too.

If using frozen meatballs, add them directly to the soup and allow a little extra time for them to heat through.

Make-Ahead and Leftovers

Italian Wedding Soup makes great leftovers, although the pasta will continue absorbing the broth as it sits.

If you know you’ll have leftovers, you can cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls when serving. This keeps the pasta from becoming too soft and helps maintain more of the broth.

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Is this Freezer-Friendly?

Yes, but for the best texture, I recommend freezing the soup without the pasta. Pasta can become soft after freezing and reheating.

Make the soup with the meatballs, broth, and vegetables, then cook fresh pasta when you’re ready to serve it.

Tips for the Best Italian Wedding Soup

Use small meatballs. The mini meatballs are perfect because you get a little bit of meatball in every spoonful.

Don’t overcook the pasta. It will continue cooking in the hot broth.

Add the greens at the end. Spinach and kale only need a few minutes to become tender.

Don’t skip the Parmesan. A little Parmesan stirred into the broth adds so much flavor!

What to Serve with Italian Wedding Soup

This soup is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but it’s delicious with a few simple sides:

• Garlic bread
• Crusty Italian bread
• A simple green salad
• Garlic knots
• Parmesan breadsticks

Easy, Cozy, and Family-Friendly

If you have a batch of mini meatballs in the freezer, this is such an easy dinner to pull together. Just grab some chicken broth, pasta, greens, and Parmesan, and you’ve got a cozy homemade soup without a lot of work.

It’s the kind of dinner that makes everyone happy—and there’s nothing better than having a warm bowl of soup waiting for you on a chilly evening!

More Cozy Soup Recipes

• Crock Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
• Ham and Potato Soup
• Pierogi Beef Stew
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Beef Barley Stew
• Creamy Crock Pot Butternut Squash Soup
• Crock Pot Minestrone
• Chicken Parmesan Soup

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