When we decided to make a pot of Quick Italian Wedding Soup we knew that it was packed with taste but not history as well. Have you ever made Italian Wedding Soup? This is the first time for us.
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Italian Wedding Soup -- The Legend
I know, that's terrible! You must be thinking how can I call myself Italian when I've never made the light soup that's in practically every Italian restaurant in America? Even The Olive Garden has soup that's similar -- Zuppa Toscana. So, today we're making Quick Italian Wedding Soup to remedy our oversight.
Do you think of soup when you think of weddings?
I don't. I think of cake, cookies, champagne, wedding buffets, chicken, pork, lots of things. But soup? Definitely not soup. The Italian wedding soup must pack one heck of a punch if it's a tradition at wedding receptions.
Now, it makes sense if you believe in the legend. The story goes that this particular dish gives the wedding couple . . . . ahem, extra stamina. An aphrodisiac! Whew! That's certainly a lot to ask a bowl of soup. 🙂
I'm trying to picture it! The bride and groom are dancing, mingling with the guests. It's been a long day; it's getting late in the evening, and everyone is tired.
Then out comes the soup. Woo! Hoo! Here comes the stuff that will give the energizer bunny get up and go! Eat it; the party is just beginning.
Italian Wedding Soup - The Truth
Sorry! I hate to ruin your fantasy, but the truth is that Italian wedding soup has nothing to do with nuptials. The marriage, in question, is between the meat {maritata} and the green vegetables { minestra}.
What would be more accurate is to call this dish a married soup versus a wedding soup.
Italian Wedding Soup has many variations. What is constant is that the soup contains some form of meat, green vegetable, and chicken broth.
Some recipes have pasta, and some have beans. Some people argue that the soup originally came from Spain where it was more of a stew. Then others claim that the recipe goes back to Roman times.
You can find more about the different ingredients used in minestra maritata here.
Quick Italian Wedding Soup - easy and bursting with taste
Our version of this classic Italian soup goes together very quickly once you form the meatballs. You make a soffritto, a combination of celery, carrots, and onion sautéed in olive oil. Add the seasonings then the diced smoked beef sausage. You then pour in the white wine, a rich broth in a Dutch oven or heavy pot.
Next, you add the meatballs, the creamy cannellini beans, your green of choice, ours is arugula, fresh parsley, and finally the tempered eggs into the simmering broth.
Now, if you like soup with more substance, you can add another can of cannellini beans or small pasta such as pastina, ditalini, or orzo.
Yes, indeed, the flavors are a match made in culinary heaven. We hope you try our Quick Italian Wedding Soup with Meatballs and see if you don't believe theirs is a valid marriage.
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Tutti a tavola è pronto
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
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📖 Recipe
Quick Italian Wedding Soup with Meatballs Minestra Maritata
Ingredients
- For the Meatballs:
- ½ cup Panko crumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan grated
- 4 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 eggs beaten
- 4 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ red pepper flakes
- pinch nutmeg
- ¾ lb. ground round
- ¼ lb. ground sausage
- For the soup:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrot diced
- 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 3 bay leaves
- ¾ cup smoked beef sausage sliced in half-moons then in quarters
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 can cannelloni beans drained and rinsed (15 oz.)
- 2 cups fresh arugula or spinach
- ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 eggs beaten
- Shredded Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 F. Stir all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Form meatballs using a small scoop or melon baller and place on foiled lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Do not overbake. **
- Sweat the vegetables, garlic, and seasonings in oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, covered, over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the smoked beef sausage quarters and continue to cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Deglaze with wine; reduce until nearly evaporated. Stir in broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered 15-20 minutes.
- Drop meatballs into simmering soup and cook gently until they float, 3-4 minutes. Add beans, arugula or spinach, and parsley, and cook just until the arugula or spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. ***
- Whisk eggs with some of the hot broth, then remove the soup from heat; stir in egg mixture.****
- Garnish soup with Parmesan
Notes
*** If you like more substance in your soup you can add another can of cannelloni beans and/or small pasta such as patina, ditalini, or orzo.
****The eggs add richness and a creamy texture to the soup. Be sure to whisk them together well with a little bit of the hot broth. Add a little more of the hot broth once that is whisked in. This is called "tempering" and will help prevent the eggs from cuttingly when added to the hot soup.
Nutrition
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