Italian Wedding Soup

Here we are again back into Holiday mode and preparing for Thanksgiving. Last week in my house there was endless talk about Italian wedding soup. It is the perfect recipe to finish the weekend and carry over into the week with leftovers. My recipe is adapted from Ina Garten’s Italian Wedding Soup. I have made my own tweaks and think you too will find yourself making this all season long! Enjoy! 

Italian Wedding Soup

6-8 servings 

For the meatballs:

1 pound mild Italian sausage 

⅓ cup panko 

1 clove minced garlic 

½ cup grated parmesan cheese 

2 tablespoons half and half

1 jumbo egg 

½ teaspoon kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal 

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper 

For the soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil, such as California Olive Ranch 

½ cup finely minced yellow onion 

1-½ cups diced carrots 

1-½ cups diced celery 

10 cups low-sodium chicken broth 

½ cup dry white wine (always cook with a wine that you would drink. I used a Chablis which paired perfectly for dinner)

1 cup orzo 

12 ounces spinach, trimmed 

2 teaspoons kosher salt 

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

• Prepare a baking sheet first with foil and then parchment paper. Set aside. 

• In a mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients beginning with the whisked egg. Gently combine all ingredients with your hands until incorporated. (I wear kitchen gloves for this part). Using a ½ inch scoop, roll meatballs onto prepared baking sheet. You should have about 25-30 meatballs.

• Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned and set aside. 

• While the meatballs are baking, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. (I have been using the Le Creuset round wide Dutch oven for everything and highly recommend it for the addition to any kitchen).

• Add the diced vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the chicken broth and wine and bring the pot to a boil.

• Add the orzo to the broth and cook for the recommended package timing until al dente. When the pasta is down add the salt, pepper, and the cooked meatballs to the soup and continue simmering.

• Stir in the spinach and cook for an additional minute until wilted.

• Serve soup with additional freshly grated parmesan cheese and a nice crusty bread for dipping. 

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to five days in the refrigerator. When you reheat, simply add more chicken broth to your pot and simmer on low.