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italian wedding soup

Italian Wedding Soup with Tortellini

My version of Italian wedding soup is made with a flavor-packed broth, equally delicious savory meatballs, and super hearty tortellini.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1/4 cup basil, minced
  • 1/4 cup parsley, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil

For the soup

  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 1 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 2 sprigs fresh dill
  • 2 sprigs fresh basil
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 celery stalks, dices
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 parmesan cheese rind
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 10 oz fresh spinach
  • 1 lb fresh tortellini
  • more fresh herbs, for serving

Instructions
 

For the meatballs

  • Preheat the oven to 400.
  • In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the onions and garlic in olive oil until browned, 5-10 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
  • In a large bowl, combine the meats, herbs, cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. Once the cooked onions and garlic are cool, add them to this mixture. Use your hands to mix everything together well, but you don't want to over-work the mixture.
  • Form meatballs about 1+1/2 inches in diameter. Place on a sheet tray and bake for 20 minutes, until browned on top.

For the soup

  • Use kitchen twine to tie together the herb sprigs. Set aside.
  • Heat a stock pot over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add in onions, celery, carrots and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent and just starting to brown, 5-10 minutes.
  • Add the chicken stock to the pot, along with the herb bundle, bay leaves and parmesan cheese rind. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the herb bundle, parmesan rind and bay leaves from the soup. Add in the spinach and stir until wilted. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  • Add in the tortellini and meatballs and cook until the tortellini are done, about 5 minutes for fresh tortellini (or use the instructions on the package). Remove the soup from the heat. Serve with some more fresh herbs and parmesan cheese on top.