Italian Wedding Soup
Traditionally, the italian wedding soup would have pasta and bread crumbs in the meatballs. My Italian husband, Pete likes to make this healthier version of his mom’s recipe.
Of course, you can add the pasta to make this soup family friendly. I like to make one big batch and add pasta separately serving by serving.
There are so many nutritious items in this soup: the homemade bone broth, the grass fed ground beef and leafy greens. These components make it an amazing gut healing, superfood soup to take to the office for lunch or eat for family dinner.
The start to every amazing soup is an amazing bone broth. When I have time and leftover chicken bones, I like to make my own broth. The leftovers of a store bought rotisserie chicken is perfect for this. Homemade broth tastes so much better. The health benefits of bone broth are substantial, bone broth has nutritional and healing properties for the body. Your mom was right when she told you chicken soup heals a body (and a soul).
Here’s my quick directions to make your own broth. If you don’t have time to make the broth, you will need 8 cups of chicken broth for the Italian Wedding Soup.
First, we make the chicken bone broth!
Ingredients for the chicken bone broth
Bones from a whole chicken (I used the carcass of a store bought rotisserie chicken)
3-5 cloves of garlic smashed and peeled
1 onion quartered
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Fresh herbs
salt and pepper to taste
Cold water covering the chicken carcass
2 leaves bay (optional)
You can make bone broth in a slow cooker or an instant pot. If you don’t have either, you can simmer on the stove. The longer the cooking time, the more health benefits.
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker, and fill with water to cover the carcass
Cook on low for at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours.
Use a strainer to separate the liquids from the solids.
Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot, and add water until it is about 2/3 full.
Place the lid on, lock it, seal the vent.
Use the manual setting to cook for 120 minutes.
Use the quick release valve when time is up, or feel free to let it release naturally. Both ways work!
After releasing pressure, remove the lid, and use a strainer to separate the liquids from the solids.
Next, we make the meatballs!
Ingredients for the meatballs
2 pounds of grass fed ground beef (or ground chicken or turkey for the Reset)
2 links of hot italian sausage, remove from the casing.
½ cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh basil, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 eggs
½ cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of dried oregano (You can use fresh also, just triple the amount)
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of pepper
Olive oil
Mix all herbs, onion and spices in a bowl.
Then mix in the two eggs. Mix well.
Add the ground beef and italian sausage to the bowl and mix well. Using your hands is great.
Create small meatballs, about 1-2 inches big depending on your preference. I like smaller bite sized meatballs for soup.
Heat olive oil at medium high heat in a pan.
Brown meatballs on medium high heat.
Putting it all together, making the soup!
Ingredients
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
4 carrots, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
8-12 cups of homemade (or store bought) Bone Broth
Homemade Meatballs
Baby Spinach
Optional Garnish: grated parmesan cheese
Saute the veggies (not the spinach) in a soup pot with olive oil on medium heat.
Add broth to the veggies, mix well.
Let simmer for 10 minutes to get the flavors going.
Then add the browned meatballs to the soup.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add one bay leaf and let the soup simmer for one hour.
When ready to serve, wilt spinach, cook for 5 minutes
Optional garnish soup with grated parmesan cheese