I frequently prepare various soups at home, including my family’s favorite recipes like cabbage and potato, lemony matzo ball, and creamy tomato. Recently, I decided to expand my repertoire by simplifying a recipe I typically reserve for special occasions—Italian wedding soup.
Italian wedding soup features small meatballs, hearty greens, and tiny pasta creating a satisfying, complete meal garnished with Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Although traditionally a labor-intensive dish, I found a clever shortcut from one of my editors to make this comforting soup more weeknight-friendly, and now I can’t get enough of it.
The name “Italian wedding soup” is actually a mistranslation of the Italian term “minestra maritata,” meaning “marriage soup” due to the combination of meatballs and leafy greens. This dish represents the union of flavors, much like a successful marriage where compromise and balance are essential.
My version of Italian wedding soup, or rather Italian marriage soup, streamlines the process by using Italian sausage instead of handmade meatballs, achieving a harmonious blend of flavors with the sausage, greens, and ditalini pasta.
For a quick and easy rendition of this soup, start by shaping one-inch sausage balls and searing them in olive oil. After removing the meatballs, sauté onions and garlic before adding chicken stock, pasta, and sausage balls to simmer. Finally, stir in your choice of greens, such as escarole or spinach, and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and plenty of Parmesan cheese.
Here’s a simplified recipe for about 6 servings of my Easy Italian Wedding Soup:
Ingredients:
– 1 pound mild Italian ground sausage
– 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
– 1 medium yellow onion, diced
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock
– 1 cup small pasta (ditalini, acini de pepe, or orzo)
– 4 packed cups (4 to 5 ounces) spinach or escarole, stems removed and torn
– 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
– 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Form the ground sausage into 1-inch balls and sear them in olive oil. Next, sauté onions and garlic, then add chicken stock, pasta, and sausage balls to simmer. Stir in greens and serve with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy this simplified and flavorful version of Italian wedding soup!
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Fry the meatballs on all sides, working in batches if necessary, for about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a plate and cover to keep warm.
In the same pot (without wiping it out), sauté the onion until it starts to soften, around 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until it becomes fragrant and soft, another 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring it to a boil, making sure to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the pasta and browned meatballs. Simmer until the pasta is just about al dente according to the package directions, which should take around 8 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the pot.
Add the spinach and continue to simmer until the spinach is dark and wilted, and the pasta is fully cooked, for another 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For serving, you can optionally drizzle with high-quality olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, let the dish cool completely and freeze it for up to one month.
This recipe was originally featured on Simply Recipes.
