Rustic Italian Wedding Soup
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Meatballs made with rye bread swapped for panko, ground veal instead of pork for a lighter bite. Saute low and slow till veggies soften into sweet shadows. Broth with Parm rind dropped in early; that umami punch is no joke. Meatballs browned briefly—don’t crowd the pan or steam begins, texture lost. Baby kale instead of spinach; sturdier, adds bite and hold. Pasta added with meatballs—go small, like acini di pepe for texture contrast. Salt and pepper adjusted near finish—don’t overdo early, soup tightens as it simmers. Olive oil drizzle optional but worth it. Humble, rich, forgiving. Twelve servings, hour and change total.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
33 min
Total:
Servings:
12 servings
#Italian
#soup
#meatballs
#comfort food
#weeknight meal
#hearty
Started out chasing classic Italian wedding soup, banged around recipe after recipe. Rye bread swapped with panko for lighter bind, less soggy, more neat little spheres of meat. Veal swapped for pork—delicate texture keeps meatballs tender, avoids heavy greasiness. Early browning? Critical, but crowd the pan and it screams steam, not sizzle. Low and slow sweat veggies—don’t rush caramelization or lose sweetness. Parm rind dropped into broth early turns broth glossy, full-bodied, umami bomb. For greens, baby kale is resilient, holds up longer than spinach, adds toothiness I like. Timing changed, pasta added with meatballs to keep everything hot at once. Season late and adjust throughout—soups evolve in flavor, salt too soon kills freshness. Rustic, forgiving, feeds a crowd, with just enough time to savor cooking and sipping.
Ingredients
- 3 cups panko bread crumbs
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ pound ground veal
- ¾ pound ground beef
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 12 cups chicken broth
- Parmigiano Reggiano rind piece
- ¾ cup acini di pepe pasta
- 4 cups baby kale roughly chopped
- Extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish
- Drizzle of olive oil optional
About the ingredients
Panko replaces bread crumbs so meatballs don’t collapse into mush; absorbs moisture without soggy side effects. Veal instead of pork trims excess fat, keeps balance lean but flavorful; can sub equal pork if richer meatballs preferred. Use fresh garlic chopped on a microplane or press to release full aroma; dried garlic powder won’t do here. Sage chopped finely brings earthiness that pairs with beef better than oregano in this context. Parm rind? Save those bits in freezer; throw in broth to deepen flavor without salt spike. Acini di pepe pasta holds shape better than larger pastas sinking and breaking down. Baby kale takes heat well, no slimy wilt like spinach, great option when shopping limited. Olive oil essential for browning and finishing drizzle—skip inferior oils, go fruity or peppery for distinct notes. Salt early on veggies, hold back on final seasoning, soup broth intensifies while simmering.
Method
- Mix bread crumbs, garlic, onion, parsley, cheese, salt, egg, Worcestershire in a large bowl until evenly combined. Then fold in ground veal and beef gently with hands or spoon, careful not to overwork or meatballs toughen.
- Roll into tight small balls about ¾ inch—tiny but not crumb-sized. Use clean, damp hands or a small melon baller for uniformity. Set on parchment-lined sheet. Optional: brown in batches over medium heat in 1 tbsp olive oil, avoiding crowding. Quick sear 2 minutes per batch; meatballs firm up but not cooked through. Set aside. Add oil as needed for browning subsequent batches.
- In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over low heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper. Sweat slowly, stirring occasionally, until veggies soften and edges barely caramelize, about 15–17 minutes. Watch for color changing to translucent gold and smell sweet vegetable aroma. Then stir in garlic and sage, cook 1 minute until fragrant and spiced notes hit nose.
- Pour in broth and toss in Parm rind immediately. Bring to a rolling boil; broth will pick up depth and richness from rind. Don’t skip rind unless unavailable—try Parmesan rinds from supermarket scraps if necessary.
- Drop meatballs in carefully. When they float and wobble at surface, test internal temperature—need 145°F for pork-beef combo; veal slightly lower but play safe. If adding pasta, stir in acini di pepe now, they cook quickly in broth and soak flavors.
- Turn heat to medium-low; add kale. Stir kale in until it wilts while keeping texture. Taste soup and tweak salt or black pepper last. Ladle pasta first into bowls, spoon soup and meatballs over. Grate extra Parm on top. A light drizzle of olive oil adds richness and glossy sheen. Serve warm, hearty, rustic. Leftovers better next day—flavors marry.
Cooking tips
Mix meatball ingredients gently—overmixing toughens. Mold uniform balls small enough to cook evenly; using a melon baller saves time. Browning optional but strongly recommended for texture and flavor depth—don’t crowd pan, sear in batches, add oil if pan starts dry to prevent sticking. Sweat vegetables low and slow, patience pays: moisture softens cell walls, releases natural sugars, flavors deepen without burning. Garlic and sage tossed in last in sweat step; too early? Garlic burns, bitter. Broth needs rolling boil before dropping meatballs; rolling boil helps proteins coagulate, seals juices inside. Test meatballs’ temp, no guessing—safe cooking prevents disaster, especially with veal. Pasta added with meatballs, simmers gently; keep stirring to avoid clumping. Greens added last to retain texture and color, not mush. Final seasoning done by taste; olfactory cues guide salt and pepper. Finishing olive oil adds silkiness and aroma, no more sauce needed. Serve pasta first in bowl, avoids clumping, better layering. Leftovers improve; flavors deepen overnight, soup thickens—reheat gently.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Meatballs should be small; about ¾ inch. Makes cooking even, no raw centers hiding. Use damp hands or melon baller or it sticks. Fold meat gently; overmix and texture toughens, chew turns rubbery. Panko bread crumbs absorb moisture but keep light, no soggy mush. Browning meatballs? Do in batches. Crowding pan cools surface, ends steaming not searing. Quick sear 2 min per batch enough, not full cook. Add more oil if pan goes dry mid-batch.
- 💡 Sweat veggies low and slow. No rush. Heat oil low, gentle sizzle. Onion, celery, carrots soften slowly, edges barely gold, not burnt. Color translucent gold signals sugar release, sweetness forms. Garlic and sage add last in this step, about 1 minute. Earlier? Garlic burns bitter, sage loses fresh earthiness. Watch for smell changes—sweat gives aroma. Tip: Stir occasionally but not constantly. Patient cooks flavorful base.
- 💡 Parm rind dropped to broth early. Rind has texture, deep umami. Toss it in when broth cold to hot, not boiling hot yet. Rolling boil helps extract maximum flavor faster, broth thickens, gets richer. Skipping rind? Might lose depth, but freeze scraps first for future use if supermarket not an option. Rind adds backbone without adding salt spike. Watch salt addition until end since rind salty.
- 💡 Pasta timing key. Add tiny acini di pepe with meatballs, not earlier. Pasta cooks fast, so if tossed right, no mush. Keep stirring gently after adding or clumps form. Heat should reduce from boil to simmer for slow cook, so pasta stays intact. Baby kale added last. Tougher than spinach, holds texture, no slimy wilt. Stir greens till just wilted. Avoid over cooking or it gets stringy, blends in like mush.
- 💡 Season salt and pepper last steps. Soup tightens flavor over simmer. Early seasoning often kills brightness. Taste regularly, add little at a time. Olive oil drizzle at end not mandatory but adds silk, aromatics. Use high-quality olive oil; fruity or peppery notes standout in final spoon. Skip subpar oils, they mask fresh flavors, feel duller. Serve pasta first in bowl to keep separate from soup; prevents clumping, nicer layering. Leftovers develop deeper flavors but reheat gentle to avoid pasta mush.
Common questions
Can I substitute pork for veal?
Yes, pork works fine but fattier. Veal trim fat, keep balls tender but pork richer flavor. If pork used, adjust cooking temp close to 160°F for safe doneness versus 145°F veal combo. Try lean ground pork if worried about greasiness. Mixing both also option.
What if meatballs fall apart?
Usually overmixing or too wet mix. Panko helps bind without soggy texture. Use dry panko, lightly wet with egg and Worcestershire only. Chill meatballs before cooking for firmer hold. Brown gently, avoid crowding pan. If still unsteady, add more dry panko or chill longer.
How to store and reheat leftovers?
Refrigerate up to 3 days, pasta may absorb broth overnight making thicker soup. Reheat gently on low, add splash broth or water to loosen. Freezing ok but pasta softens more; better to freeze meatballs separately. Reheat slowly; avoid microwave overheating which toughens meatballs and breaks pasta down fast.
Can I use spinach instead of baby kale?
Spinach softer, wilts fast, becomes mushy in long simmer. Add spinach last minute, off-heat even, delicate texture lost if overcooked. Kale sturdier, holds better with pasta and long simmer. If spinach only option, finish soup quickly after adding greens, serve immediately for best texture.
