Healthy Italian Wedding Soup (with Chicken Meatballs)

If you are searching for a healthy version of classic Italian Wedding Soup then you have arrived! Our recipe is made with extra veggies and homemade meatballs made from ground chicken instead of beef, sausage or pork.

I originally shared this recipe on January 7th 2014. I have updated the photos and text today. 

More Italian Soup Recipes

Tuscan Ribollita {Vegetable, Bean and Bread Soup}

Pappa al Pomodoro {Italian Tomato Bread Soup}

Homemade Minestrone Soup

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You’ll need olive oil to cook the veggies and then to drizzle on top for serving. bit more grated Parmesan on top. If you happen to have a bottle of special olive oil, it’s recipes like this soup (or for drizzling on zucchini ribbon salad) where you’d want to use it. That’s because you’ll really be able to taste it! 
• Veggies: We start with Mirepoix which is the French Culinary term for a mixture of onions, carrots and celery. It is a common base of many soups, sauces and more. Mirepoix is two parts onion, one part celery and one part carrot. 
• White Wine: I added a bit of white wine for acidity and to deglaze.
• Broth or Stock: If you happen to have homemade chicken stock on hand I would highly recommend it for this recipe, just be sure to taste the soup as it simmers and adjust the salt accordingly.
• Ground Chicken: For the meatballs I used ground chickenbut you can substitute ground turkey, beef or a mixture of beef and pork, which is more traditional for Italian Wedding Soup. 
• Meatball Ingredients: The meatballs are seasoned with fennel seeds and Parmesan which add a really nice savory Italian flavor to the chicken meat. You will also need egg yolk and breadcrumbs to bind the meatballs so they hold together. Sub in gluten-free breadcrumbs if desired.
• Pasta: I used acini di pepe pasta in this soup today, which is traditional in Italian Wedding Soup, but I have also made this recipe with other small pasta, and even rotini. Some other options would be pastina or orzo. You can also use quinoa to make this recipe gluten-free.
• Greens: For the greens use what you have on hand. Here are some options: Kale, Escarole or Curly Endive, chopped Chard, Collards or Spinach.
• Parmesan: I add Parm to the meatballs and I use it to serve on top. You can use Asiago or Romano instead.

How To Make Italian Wedding Soup

Make Chicken Meatballs:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Knead chicken, breadcrumbs, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, yolk, fennel seeds, ground black pepper, garlic powder and pinch salt in a medium bowl with clean hands until all of the ingredients are mixed together.
• Form into small meatballs, about 1 tablespoon each (21 meatballs.) Set on the prepared rack. Bake until cooked through, 11 to 14 minutes.

Make Soup (While meatballs bake:)

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, carrots, celery, onion, Italian seasoning and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, slightly browned and the bottom of the pot is starting to brown slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine, and cook, scraping up any browned bits as the wine reduces to almost dry, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Add broth, cover and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Add shredded greens and continue cooking until the pasta and greens are tender, 3 to 6 minutes longer.

The key to not overcooking the pasta is to add it to the wedding soup once it comes up to a simmer. Check your pasta package to make sure the recommended cooking time is 8 or 9 minutes. If that’s the case, pour in the pasta and simmer it in the soup for five minutes. Then add the greens in for the remaining time the pasta needs (three or four minutes.) If yours needs more or less time, just adjust the first cooking time up or down accordingly.

• Remove from the heat and stir in the meatballs.
• Ladle into soup bowls and top with parsley, Parmesan and a drizzle of Parmesan if desired.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can Italian Wedding Soup be Frozen?

Yes you sure can. The pasta will absorb some of the liquid, but it will still be delicious when it is thawed and reheated.

1. To do so, transfer the soup to 1 quart resealable containers, leaving about 1 -inch of headroom in the container for room for the soup to expand as it freezes.
2. Make sure to chill it completely before sealing the lid shut and freezing it.
3. Don’t forget to label it with the date. It will keep up to four months.
4. When you thaw and reheat it, add additional broth to thin it out if necessary.

More Healthy Soup Recipes

1. One of my latest soups, this Soupe Au Pistou is flexible depending on what you have on hand. Try it with winter or summer vegetables depending on the season. 
2. This Vegetarian Lentil Soup is the best ever! It is loaded with carrots, parsnips and kale and has a tasty blend of spices.
3. Our new Creamy Zucchini Soup is made with yogurt and dill and can be served chilled or hot. 
4. If you have never made corn chowder from scratch, then try our version! You’ll never have canned again. 
5. If you love chicken soup,try this Paleo Chicken and Veggie soup (made without pasta- but still hearty thanks to loads of root veggies.) 
6.  I make this Harvest Vegetable Soup every time I am craving a hearty veggie heavy soup. I love that you can use whatever veggies you have on hand. 
7. This Keto Chicken Soup has been ultra popular this winter. 
8. This meal prep slow cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup also freezes well if you have leftovers. 
9. Our Easy Chicken and Rice Soup is great for cold season and is ready in under an hour.

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

Healthy Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 13 reviews

• Author: Katie Webster
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 9 1/2 cups 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Here is a delicious homemade recipe for Italian Wedding Soup made with chicken (or turkey) meatballs, greens and acini di pepe pasta.

---

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Meatballs

• 1/2 pound ground chicken
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, preferably trans-fat free
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• pinch salt

For the Soup

• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon dry Italian Seasonings
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups finely shredded greens, such as kale, bok choy, spinach or escarole
• 1 cup acini di pepe pasta, pastina, orzo or other small pasta
• freshly chopped Italian Parsley
• grated Parmesan
• high quality fruity olive oil for drizzling

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

Make meatballs:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.
2. Knead chicken, breadcrumbs, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, yolk, fennel seeds, pepper, garlic powder and pinch salt in a medium bowl with clean hands until all of the ingredients are mixed together. Form into small meatballs, about 1 tablespoon each (21 meatballs.) Set on the prepared rack. Bake until cooked through, 11 to 14 minutes.

Make Soup (While meatballs bake:)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, carrots, celery, onion, Italian seasoning and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, slightly browned and the bottom of the pot is starting to brown slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine, and cook, scraping up any browned bits as the wine reduces to almost dry, 1 to 3 minutes. Add broth, cover and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Add shredded greens and continue cooking until the pasta and greens are tender, 3 to 6 minutes longer.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the meatballs.
3. Ladle into soup bowls and top with parsley, Parmesan and a drizzle of Parmesan if desired.

Notes

You can substitute ground turkey or ground beef for the chicken if you prefer.

Make sure to check the cooking time on the box or bag of pasta you’re using, and add or subtract cook time as necessary. This recipe is based on pasta that requires 8 to 9 minutes of cook time.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Soup
• Method: Oven Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 141
• Fat: 4
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 10 grams