This Italian Wedding Soup recipe is both easy to make and incredibly delicious.
It’s a staple in my house—we love our soups! Tender, juicy Italian sausage and beef meatballs, sweet carrots, fresh wilted spinach (or kale), and gluten-free pasta come together in a comforting broth. *Not gluten-free? Simply swap in your favorite wheat pasta and use wheat breadcrumbs in the meatballs. Finish with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan for the perfect touch.
Serve it all by itself or pair it with gluten-free sourdough discard crackers, crusty gluten-free bread bowls, garlic bread, or gluten free dinner rolls.
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What Is Italian Wedding Soup?
Italian Wedding Soup traditionally features leafy greens and meat. Its name comes from a mistranslation of the Italian phrase “minestra maritata,” which means “married soup.” Here, “marriage” refers to the delicious pairing of greens and meat, not actual weddings. The meatballs are traditionally made with a mix of beef and pork, often including Italian pork sausage.
For a lighter, healthier version, you can swap the beef and pork for ground turkey or chicken.
What Do I Need To Make This Italian Wedding Soup Recipe?
- Carrots
- Celery
- Yellow onion
- Chicken broth
- Beef broth
- Baby spinach
- Your favorite shape gluten-free brown rice pasta, or regular pasta. I use Jovial gluten-free brand from Thrive Market. Tip: If not dining gluten-free, you can use regular wheat pasta or pearl couscous. Great options are mini shells, orzo, or ditalini.
- Mild Italian pork sausage
- Ground beef
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley
- Basil
- Minced garlic
- Italian seasonings
- Gluten-free plain dried breadcrumbs. I use the brand 4C Foods.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
- Egg
- Fresh lemon juice, optional
How To Make Homemade Meatballs:
- Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, or cover it with parchment paper. This is where we’ll set the meatballs down as they’re being rolled.
- Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, and seasonings in a medium-sized mixing bowl until evenly distributed. Add in egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate into the mixture.
- For large meatballs: Pinch off 1-2 tbsp. of the meat mixture and roll into balls. Place on the greased/lined baking sheet. For small meatballs: Pinch off 2 teaspoon of the meat mixture and roll into balls. Place on the greased/lined baking sheet.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. along with 1 tbsp. of oil and 1 tbsp. of butter.
- Brown the meatballs on both sides until golden. Set pan aside. Meatballs should still be raw in the center; they will finish cooking in the soup.
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe:
- Prepare the meatballs; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add in carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, and cook 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth, beef broth, water, and seasonings. Turn up the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
- Add in the meatballs. and boil 3-5 minutes.
- Add in the uncooked pasta. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly al dente. Tip: You can either cook the pasta in the soup or cook it separately and place it in bowls at each serving. If using gluten-free pasta, it’s important to cook the pasta to just al dente. Sometimes if gluten-free pasta is overcooked in soups, it will swell, taking up a lot of the soup and breaking into smaller pieces.
- Add spinach, and allow to wilt for 1-2 minutes until vibrant green in color.
- Season to taste. Optional: Add in a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the top. Pair with crackers, crusty bread, rolls, garlic bread, etc.
Notes on Italian Wedding Soup:
- If you're going for a lighter, healthier route you can swap the beef and pork meatballs for ground turkey or chicken.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving the soup to give it a little zip of citrus.
- You can swap the pasta shells in this recipe for any shape of gluten-free (or wheatful) pasta, or even rice, orzo, or couscous.
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Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Homemade Meatballs
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Yield: 8 servings
Homemade juicy and flavorful Italian sausage and beef meatballs, tender carrots, fresh wilted spinach, and gluten-free pasta. *If not dining gluten-free, you can simply switch out the pasta for your favorite wheat brand and use wheat breadcrumbs in the meatballs. Topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
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Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- ½ lb. ground beef
- ½ lb. mild Italian sausage
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ½ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs I used the brand 4C Foods for GF breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
For the Italian Wedding Soup:
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced into coins
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup high-quality gluten-free dried brown rice pasta I used Jovial brand
- 5 oz. baby spinach or kale
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated Parmesan cheese for serving
- 1-2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper (this is where the meatballs will rest as you roll them).
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, Italian sausage, and seasonings until evenly mixed.½ lb. ground beef, ½ lb. mild Italian sausage, 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings, 1 teaspoon parsley, salt and pepper to taste
- Add the egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper, then stir until fully incorporated.½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, ½ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- For large meatballs: Pinch off 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll into balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.For small meatballs: Pinch off 2 teaspoons of the mixture, roll into balls, and place on the baking sheet.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or nonstick frying pan over medium heat with oil and butter.1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Brown the meatballs on all sides until golden. Remove the pan from heat. The meatballs will still be raw in the center—they’ll finish cooking in the soup.
For the Italian Wedding Soup:
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until it begins to shimmer.1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Add the carrots, celery, and onion, and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.1 yellow onion, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Add the chicken broth, beef broth, water, and seasonings. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.6 cups chicken broth, 2 cups beef broth, 1 cup water, salt and pepper to taste
- Add the meatballs and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the gluten-free pasta in a separate pot until al dente. Cooking it separately prevents the pasta from swelling in the soup, where it will continue to cook and break apart.1 cup high-quality gluten-free dried brown rice pasta
- Add the spinach to the soup and cook for 1–2 minutes, until wilted and bright green.5 oz. baby spinach
- (Optional) Stir in freshly-squeezed lemon juice.1-2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
- To serve: Place a serving of pasta in a bowl and ladle the soup over it. Top with freshly grated Parmesan. Pair it with crackers, crusty bread, rolls, or garlic bread for a complete meal.grated Parmesan cheese for serving
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