Traditional Italian Wedding Soup

You don’t have to be Italian to love this easy-to-make soup with tiny round pasta! Add homemade meatballs but use ready-made stock and rotisserie chicken.

Traditional Italian Wedding Soup

Average Rating: 4.8

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Cook: 40 min.
YIELD: 9 servings (2-1/4 quarts).

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon raisins, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
  • 1/2 pound bulk spicy pork sausage
  • 2 cartons (32 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1-1/2 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
  • 2/3 cup uncooked acini di pepe pasta
  • 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach, cut into thin strips
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

  • 1. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Crumble beef and sausage over mixture and mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1/2-in. balls.
  • 2. In a Dutch oven, brown meatballs in small batches; drain. Add the broth and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and pasta; cook 5-7 minutes longer or until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired.
    Freeze option:
    Before adding cheese, cool soup. Freeze soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add broth or water if necessary. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 253 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated fat), 94mg cholesterol, 797mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 21g protein.