There are many versions of this soup, and for me, this has been adapted so many times remains our favorite rich and bursting with Italian flavors.
The soup has a chicken base loaded with escarole and traditionally with acini di pepe pastina but today we added Homemade Tortellini which makes an incredible addicting broth.
Soup is a meal that anything can go in the pot so don't be afraid to adapt on the flavors you love by adding more or less of what your family enjoys.
If escarole is hard to find use another green like kale, swiss chard or even some curly savoy cabbage will do.
If you're looking for a soup to warm your soul and take the chill out, this is the one you'll ever need to make.
We love all kinds of soups and I even have a collection of Best Soup Recipes you may enjoy and if you love beans, try my comforting 20 Bean Roundup of Recipes.
This wedding soup can be made with any small pasta you have on hand even broken up spaghetti you'll see a few styles below in photos of wedding soup additions.
Also don't miss my other soups we love recipes in this post below, like lasagna soup, stuffed pepper and so much more!
Scroll down to get our printables family recipe.
Comforting Italian Soup
Even though I make this soup all year round, I do a few things to help be a soup starter to make it even easier.
During the week if I make chicken legs or thighs baked in the oven, I boil the chicken first and freeze the broth, perfect for this recipe with just broth and no meat.
There are a few other vegetables I add in the summer that we love like cubed zucchini so get creative and make this soup your own recipe, remember soup is a pot of anything you like goes into the pot.
Ingredients You Will Need (for exact measurements keep scrolling the to the recipe card)
- for the meatballs
- ground beef
- grated cheese
- breadcrumbs
- garlic
- for the broth
- chicken any parts
- celery
- carrots
- garlic
- fresh parsley
- water
- any kind of pasta
Cooking Methods
- Stovetop simmered for at least 2 hours
- Instant Pot using the pressure cooker mode to instruction book (around 45 minutes)
- Slow cooker/crockpot on low 6 to 8 hours using only boneless chicken
Optional Ingredient Suggestions and Tips
- any kinds of greens
- white beans
- cubed zucchini
- use all fresh herbs not dried
- for vegetarian omit meatballs and use vegetable broth
- corn
- peas
- mixed vegetables
Tools
- 5 to 8 quart soup pot
- slow cooker/instant pot
- melon ball scoop for meatballs for uniform size
- knife for cutting vegetables
- cutting board
- bowl
- measuring spoons
Italian Wedding Soup Pin for later
Other Favorite Soup Recipes
Ham Cabbage and Potato Soup
Italian Stuffed Pepper Soup
Lasagna Soup
Homemade Tortellini Pasta
Easy Recipe
If you have never tried to make homemade soup, you're missing out on an easy really economical meal.
This version is a bit more gourmet but so simple you're going to get so many compliments to make this again and again, it's truly the best of the best wedding soup recipes.
One more tip, always season and taste as you go, I do not use as much salt and not a big fan of salty soups, so remember it's to your individual taste.
The grated cheese as a garnish will also enhance the flavors of this soup, serve this soup with great confidence and enjoy a comforting bowl of soup!
Yield: 8
Italian Wedding Style Tortellini Soup
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 15 M
This is an updated version of wedding soup made with escarole or spinach leaves, meatballs in a rich broth and pasta added to this classic soup.
Ingredients
- Meatballs:
- 1 - 1/2 cups of ground round, turkey or a mixture of pork and ground beef
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped Italian parsley
- 4 tablespoons Italian flavored bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- mix together set aside.
- Soup Ingredients:
- 1 head of escarole cleaned and boiled for 30 minutes separately in saltwater drained and squeeze out the liquid or use a 10-ounce package or fresh or frozen spinach
- 6 chicken thighs, legs (or 2 boneless breasts cubed)
- 5 quarts of water (or chicken broth)
- 1 cup carrots
- 1/4 cup celery chopped or fresh fennel
- 1 large 16 oz can of whole tomatoes chopped or use 6 fresh diced plum tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano, garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley
- salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper added to taste
- Garnish:
- grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ServingSuggestion:
- Italian Garlic Bread or any hard-crusted bread
- Note:
- Use any kind of pastine, or pasta you prefer or make our Tortellini Recipe
- Boil pasta of choice to package instructions
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, add the kind of chicken you prefer and boil in water removing any scum at the top.
- Remove the chicken if it's on the bone, cool, take off the bone, and place back in the pot.
- Put on low to simmer adding the tomatoes, seasonings, carrots (along with any other vegetables you want like onions chopped) along with escarole or spinach, celery.
- As this boils, drop quarter-sized meatballs into the hot soup and continue to boil they will float to the top.
- Continue cooking the soup for around 1 more hour.
- Boil the pasta of choice(tortellini, gnocchi, acini de pepe pastine, orzo, noodles, etc. of choice) to package instructions.
- Add to cooked soup, ladle into bowls and garnish with grated cheese.
- This soup can be made in a slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours on low, top of the stove for 2 hours on low simmer or instant pot pressure cooker mode for 45 minutes or to your instructions manual.
Calories
471.19Fat (grams)
23.75Sat. Fat (grams)
7.95Carbs (grams)
20.81Fiber (grams)
4.61Net carbs
16.20Sugar (grams)
3.58Protein (grams)
45.03Sodium (milligrams)
2572.94Cholesterol (grams)
203.71Italian Wedding Style Tortellini Soup Pin for Later
Try Some More Of Our Favorite Recipes
Grandma's Home Chicken Soup
Italian Minestrone
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2020.