Italian Wedding Soup is awesome because it is so different compared to other soups- I mean mini meatballs in a spoonful of soup? Yes please! I love this one especially because I keep the meatballs super small so there's lots in every bowl of soup. I also include beans for extra protein and a filling addition!
I made the meatballs using a combination of lean ground turkey and ground Italian chicken sausage. This combination is delicious in meatballs and drastically cuts down on fats without sacrificing flavor.
Plus how cute are the little bite sized meatballs?
The pasta in this recipe is acini di Pepe pasta. You could sub this for any pasta you prefer but this is the classic Italian Wedding Soup noodle of choice for a reason. I love how in a spoonful you can get meatball, beans, pasta and plenty of greens and veggies.
As for greens and veggies...
I left it open to your preference to add spinach or escarole as I know not everyone likes both!
I also incorporated fresh leeks and fennel. Keep in mind that leeks can get very dirty between the layers so I soak them in a bowl of water for a few minutes and use my hands to shake any dirt loose before draining it.
Italian Wedding Soup
8 Servings | Cook time: 20 minutes
Notes: I love these turkey and chicken sausage meatballs. They’re so cute and little and would be perfect on their own but even better in this soup! I put spinach or escarole for the greens, whichever you prefer would be delicious!
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, minced
50 g onion, diced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 lb chicken sausage
Soup:
3 cloves garlic, minced
50 g onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken broth
2-4 cups water
1 large leek, diced, soaked/drained
1 head fennel, diced
1 15oz can low sodium cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups spinach or escarole, chopped
1 cup dry acini di Pepe pasta
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients. If chicken sausage is in casings, either remove from casing or use a food processor to make ground sausage.
Use your hands or a tablespoon to form 40 mini meatballs and arrange on a large nonstick pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes, remove and set aside.
In the instant pot, heat olive oil. Add onions, leeks and fennel and sauté until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, another minute or so.
Stir in chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Stir in acini di Pepe pasta. Cover and set to cook for 2 minutes. Quick release and open the soup.
Turn it on to sauté and stir in beans, spinach or escarole and meatballs and cook until heated through fully and greens have wilted. Turn instant pot off and stir in remaining fresh parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Serve hot topped with more fresh parsley and parmesan.
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Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.
