Made with homemade turkey meatballs, tiny pasta, and dark leafy greens, Italian Wedding Soup is simple yet flavorful. Ready in just 30 minutes!.
This article combines the best of two worlds bringing you the ultimate Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs experience. Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal or a comforting bowl of soup to warm you up on a cold day, this recipe has got you covered.
What is Italian Wedding Soup?
Italian Wedding Soup, also known as “Minestra Maritata,” is a classic Italian-American dish that features small meatballs tiny pasta, and leafy greens in a flavorful broth. The name “wedding soup” is a reference to the “marriage” of the different ingredients creating a harmonious and satisfying soup.
Why Turkey Meatballs?
While traditional Italian Wedding Soup recipes use beef or pork meatballs, this recipe opts for lean ground turkey. This makes the soup lighter and healthier, while still maintaining the delicious flavor and texture of the meatballs.
Two Great Recipes, One Amazing Soup
This article combines the best elements of two popular Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs recipes:
- The New York Times Cooking recipe: This recipe provides a classic approach with detailed instructions and helpful tips. It also includes a video tutorial for visual learners.
- Skinnytaste recipe: This recipe focuses on creating a lighter and healthier version of the soup, using lean ground turkey and a flavorful broth.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- For the Meatballs:
- Ground turkey breast
- Breadcrumbs
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley
- Onion
- Garlic
- Egg
- Salt
- For the Soup:
- Olive oil
- Carrots
- Chicken broth
- Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
- Leafy greens (escarole, spinach, kale, etc.)
- Cracked pepper
- Pasta (acini di pepe, orzo, ditalini, or your preferred small pasta)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Prepare the broth: Sauté the olive oil, carrots, and onion in a large pot or Dutch oven until softened. Add the chicken broth and Parmesan cheese rind (optional), bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer.
- Make the meatballs: Combine the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Form small meatballs, about 1 tablespoon each. Place them on a baking sheet and broil for 8-10 minutes to help them keep their shape in the soup.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Add the meatballs, pasta, leafy greens, pepper, and salt to the simmering broth. Cook according to the pasta directions.
- Enjoy: Remove the Parmesan cheese rind and serve the delicious Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs!
Variations and Tips:
- Use different meats: Substitute ground beef, chicken, or even Italian sausage for the turkey.
- Add more vegetables: Include celery, chopped tomatoes, or other vegetables of your choice.
- Make it vegetarian: Use vegetable broth and omit the meatballs.
- Cook in the Instant Pot: Follow the Instant Pot instructions provided in the Skinnytaste recipe for a quicker cooking method.
- Freeze for later: This soup freezes well, making it perfect for meal prep.
Additional Resources:
- The New York Times Cooking recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019925-italian-wedding-soup-with-turkey-meatballs
- Skinnytaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/escarole-soup-with-turkey-meatballs-52/
This Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs recipe is a delicious and easy way to enjoy a classic Italian-American dish. With its simple ingredients and customizable variations, it’s sure to become a family favorite. So grab your ingredients, put on your apron, and get ready to create a heartwarming and flavorful soup that will satisfy your taste buds and warm your soul.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Italian Wedding Soup
- Quick and easy. The simplicity of this Italian meatball soup recipe is one of the reasons I adore it so much. It only takes 30 minutes to prepare, which includes creating the meatballs from scratch!
- Meatballs made from scratch. Don’t let the fact that these are homemade turkey meatballs scare you—all you need to do is prepare them for a short while using a few simple ingredients.
- Perfect for meal prep. This recipe yields a large amount, so it’s ideal to prepare in advance and freeze in servings for lunch or dinner throughout the month.
Both the homemade meatballs and the soup are made with just a handful of ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.
- Ground turkey breast – I used 99% lean ground turkey.
- Breadcrumbs – I like seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs. You might want to add extra seasoning to the mixture if it seems unseasoned.
- Parmesan cheese – Grated from the block.
- Aromatics: Garlic, onion, and parsley give the meatballs flavor.
- Egg – Helps to hold the meatballs together.
- Salt
- Olive oil – For sauteing the aromatics.
- Onion & carrots – Add flavor and texture.
- Reduce the amount of sodium in your chicken broth to manage the broth’s salinity.
- Parmesan cheese rind – Optional but recommended for flavor.
- Leafy greens: Feel free to use any dark leafy vegetable you like, such as fresh spinach or escarole.
- Cracked pepper
- Pasta: Ditalini, orzo, and cacin di pepe are all excellent options.
Can I Make This In The Instant Pot?
Yes! You can also make your Italian wedding soup in the Instant Pot. The procedure is essentially the same; you simply cook the onions and carrots using the sauté function and then bring the broth to a boil using high pressure. You can cook the meatballs right in the Instant pot as well. The recipe card below has full Instant Pot instructions.
Here are a few tips and variations for making your Italian wedding soup.
- Use the Instant Pot. You can prepare this soup in the Instant Pot to make it even faster. Additionally, you can cook the meatballs in the Instant Pot itself. See the recipe card below for complete Instant Pot instructions.
- Use frozen meatballs. If you don’t want to make the meatballs from scratch, you can definitely use frozen meatballs; just give them a little longer to cook.
- Avoid overcooking the pasta. The tiny pasta in this recipe cooks quickly, so watch it carefully to prevent mushy pasta.
- Omit the pasta. For a low-carb soup, you can choose to completely omit the pasta.
The best thing about this soup is that it can be eaten by itself for a filling but light lunch or dinner. In addition to serving it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top, you might want to serve it with some crusty bread so that guests can soak up the delicious broth.
Turkey Meatball Wedding Soup
FAQ
What does Italian wedding soup contain?
Why is it called Italian style wedding soup?
What is a substitute for escarole in Italian wedding soup?
Is Italian wedding soup eaten at weddings?
What is Italian wedding soup with Turkey meatballs?
Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs is a hearty and nourishing soup loaded with flavor! Thanks to the turkey, this version is a bit lighter than traditional Italian Wedding Soup, but still every bit as delicious!
What is your favorite Italian wedding soup?
A favorite soup of mine that is always on rotation during the fall and winter months in my home is Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs. As opposed to beef or the traditional beef & veal combination, turkey lends itself well to this soup as I prefer lighter-tasting meatballs in soups.
Can I make Turkey meatball Italian wedding soup ahead of time?
If making turkey meatball Italian wedding soup ahead of time, you may wish to cook the acini di pepe separately, then add when serving to prevent the pasta from becoming to soft. Veggies. If you can’t find escarole, use more spinach or feel free to add any other greens you’d like.
How do you make Italian wedding soup?
A large bowl of Italian wedding soup is a flavorful marriage of ingredients. Mini turkey meatballs are broiled until golden brown, then simmered with vegetables. This recipe features cheese-filled tortellini, but you can always go the classic route and use acini de pepe pasta.