Italian Wedding Soup

If you asked us to name our favorite comfort foods, pasta, soup, and meatballs would all be at the top of the list. So it’s no surprise that Italian Wedding Soup is one of our favorite meals when the weather turns chilly. Loaded with mini chicken meatballs, little pasta nuggets, and plenty of veg, it’s like an upgraded version of chicken noodle soup, and we can’t get enough of it!

While some recipes call for orzo, we recommend acini de pepe or even pearl couscous instead. These tiny ball-shaped pastas are more compact and once cooked, absorb less liquid as they sit– which means you can refrigerate your leftovers without worrying about the pasta completely absorbing all the broth.

Read on for more tips on this comforting winter soup. And if (like us!) you’re now craving straight-up meatballs, check out our favorite Italian meatballs– you just can’t beat a classic!

Why is it called Italian wedding soup?

“Italian wedding soup” is actually a mistranslation of the Italian phrase “Minestra Maritata,” which means “married soup.” In Italy, this title has nothing to do with a wedding; it’s a reference to the marriage of flavor created by cooking meat and greens together in one pot. If you were picturing Italian brides sipping this soup before running out onto the dance floor . . . we hate to break it to you, but that’s not quite the story here.

What are the meatballs made of?

Since this soup was originally a peasant dish, the meatballs in the soup were typically made from whatever meat or sausage was leftover, usually pork. Our version uses a combination of ground chicken and chicken sausage, which allows us to double down on that chicken flavor that we’re already getting in the broth. 

What noodles are in Italian wedding soup?

Traditionally, this soup is made with acini de pepe or orzo. We prefer acini de pepe because, once it cooks, it will not swell and suck up as much soup broth as orzo will. Plus it’s a fun, round, chewy shape– and when else do we get to use it? If you can’t find it, you can try pearled couscous or another small pasta shape, but keep in mind that this soup is really about the meatballs and the greens. Don’t let the pasta take over!

Can you freeze this soup?

Absolutely. You can freeze the fully finished soup, including the greens and pasta, or (and this is our preference!) you can freeze the soup without the pasta and greens and cook them fresh in the broth as you’re reheating it. Whichever way you decide to go, be sure you let the soup cool completely before storing in airtight containers and freezing.  

Editor's note: This intro was updated to add more information about the dish on June 30, 2022.