Healthier Italian Wedding Soup? Yes, please! Dive into a bowl of Healthier Italian Wedding Soup, filled with tender mini meatballs, delicious veggies and pasta, swimming in a deliciously golden broth, for a comforting dinner you can feel good about. In this updated recipe, we’ve kept all the delicious flavours of the classic Italian soup, but made it healthier by using lean ground turkey in the lemon-parmesan meatballs and by adding lots (and lots!) of fresh vegetables. While this soup is healthier, it’s misses nothing in terms of flavour. In fact, it’s SO delicious, you’ll wonder why this wasn’t the only way to make Italian Wedding Soup!
Despite its name, Italian Wedding Soup actually has nothing to do with any actual nuptials. The Italian name for this soup is “minestra maritata”, which translates to “married soup” in English….not wedding soup. The reference to matrimony refers to the “marriage” of flavours within the soup, and sadly, has nothing to do with an actual wedding. It would be lovely to think that the origins of this soup stemmed from a romantic Italian wedding tradition, but alas…that’s just not true. I hope you’re not too disappointed. If you are, the name of this soup is where your disappointment will end, because it’s nothing short of delicious. If you’ve never had Italian Wedding soup, you’re in for a treat! Each spoonful is loaded with juicy meatballs, tiny pasta and tender vegetables, for a blend of flavours and textures in each bite. So, with all the traditional flavours of Italian Wedding Soup, why are we calling this version “healthier”? The classic version of this soup contains- at best – a few leaves of greens floating in and amongst the beef or pork meatballs and pasta. In our healthier version, we’ve LOADED up the broth with tons of finely chopped vegetables. Carrots, onions, celery – they’re all there, contributing delicious flavour and texture to the dish. Instead of just a few green leaves, we’ve packed in tons of baby spinach, adding iron and other nutrients. Those meatballs? Instead of fried beef or pork meatballs, the ones in this soup are made of lean ground turkey and roasted in the oven to golden perfection. Also – these meatballs don’t contain bread – they’re a flavourful mix of turkey, lemon zest, pecorino cheese and seasonings. This soup is absolutely swimming with those delicious meatballs (so many meatballs!) making it a protein powerhouse. But don’t worry, none of the delicious flavour of traditional wedding soup has been sacrificed in this version. The addition of a rind from a wedge of pecorino or parmesan cheese to the simmering broth creates a deeply flavourful and rich base, and we’ve still studded it with tiny pasta. This Healthier Italian Wedding Soup is like the traditional Italian comfort food, only better – better for you, and better tasting. Those are bold claims, I know. I think you should try it out and see for yourself. Let me know what you think, but I know you’re going to love it!
What goes in Healthier Italian Wedding Soup?
- Chicken Broth: Use a good quality store bought or homemade chicken broth. Be sure to start with a low sodium broth, since the broth will concentrate as it simmers.
- Rind from a Wedge of Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese: Don’t throw the rinds from Pecorino and Parmesan cheese wedges away! Adding the rind from a wedge of pecorino or parmesan cheese to the simmering broth adds deep, savoury flavour to Italian Wedding Soup. To store your cheese rinds, place them in a resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Pull one out as needed to add flavour to soups, stews and sauces.
- Lemon Zest, Garlic, Oregano & Basil: Each meatball bursts with the delicious, aromatic flavours of lemon zest, garlic, oregano and basil. When removing the zest from the lemon, remember that you only want to remove the bright yellow part of the rind for bright, lemony flavour. The pale yellow and white parts of the lemon rind (called the pith) is bitter. I find that the easiest way to remove just the bright yellow part of the lemon skin is with a Microplane Zester. This zester is one of my kitchen all-stars, as it also works wonders for finely grating so many other things, such as the garlic and the fresh cheese in this recipe..
- Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese adds delicious cheesy flavour to both the meatballs, and to the finished soup.
- Ground Turkey: Traditional Italian Wedding Soup is made with ground beef, but in this healthier version we have used ground turkey to make this soup lower in saturated fat, but without compromising flavour or texture. Ground chicken can be substituted if you have trouble finding ground turkey.
- Onions, Carrots and Celery: These vegetables are finely chopped for even cooking and a consistent texture.
- Tiny Pasta: Acini de Pepe are tiny, round balls of pasta that are often used in Italian Wedding Soup. If you can’t find Acini de Pepe, then other small pasta shapes such as Peperini, Stelline (tiny stars) or even Orzo will all work well.
- Baby Spinach: Fresh baby spinach leaves wilt beautifully into the broth, taking on a silky texture. If the baby spinach leaves are large, you can tear them before adding them to the soup, but otherwise they can be added whole. Four cups of spinach may seem like a lot, but the leaves loose most of their volume as they wilt, so it won’t seem like too much spinach in the finished soup. Escarole is the traditional green added to wedding soup, so feel free to use chopped escarole instead of baby spinach, if you prefer.
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Strange though it may seem, not all kosher salts are as “salty” as others. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt in all my recipes, as it contains less sodium per volume than other brands. If you use other kinds of kosher salt, reduce the recommended amount of salt by half. Taste the finished soup and add a little more salt to taste if it needs it. Skip the powdered black pepper in favour of freshly cracked black peppercorns. To keep my pretty peppercorn grinders clean for use at the table, I use peppercorn grinders like these in my kitchens. These little grinders are also great for taking with you to vacation rentals for freshly cracked black pepper on the go, without any heartbreak if you accidentally leave them behind.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
SERVING SUGGESTIONSHealthier Italian Wedding soup is a complete, nutritious meal, all in one bowl. Fresh basil, grated cheese and/or red chili flakes are all good toppings to serve alongside. Serving the aromatic soup with fresh, crusty bread or garlic bread for dipping in the delicious broth only makes things even more enjoyable. If you wanted a heartier meal, a salad such as Antipasti Salad with Prosciutto Wrapped Breadsticks can round things out.
DRINK PAIRINGS
DRINK PAIRINGSRed wine all the way! Zinfandel and Sangiovese reds are great matches for both the broth and the Parmesan cheese.
Healthier Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
- 12 cups low sodium chicken broth, homemade or store bought
- 1 rind from a wedge of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese
- grated zest of one lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2lbs/908 gr ground turkey
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (from about 1 medium onion)
- 2 cups finely chopped carrots (from about 4 medium carrots)
- 1 cups finely chopped celery (from about 4 medium celery stalks)
- 1/2 cup tiny pasta, such as peperini
- 4 cups packed fresh baby spinach (this is about 4 good handfuls)
- additional grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Place a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 425F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large stock pot, bring broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Add the cheese rind, cover the pot and gently simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir the broth occasionally to make sure the cheese rind doesn't stick.
- While the broth simmers, make the meatballs. In a large bowl, whisk together the grated parmesan, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, basil, kosher salt and a few good cracks of freshly ground black pepper until evenly combined. Add the ground turkey and mix with your hands until the parmesan mixture is evenly distributed throughout the ground turkey. Using finger tips, gently form the turkey mixture into bitesize balls, about 1/2" to 1" in diameter. For tender results, use light pressure to form the meatballs. (Don't roll or compact the meatballs too much or they will be hard and tough.) If the mixture is sticky, wet your finger tips as needed in a small bowl of water to make handling the turkey mixture easier.
- Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven until cooked through and lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, then cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the cooking time indicated on the package. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- To the gently simmering broth, add the cooked meat balls, onion, carrot and celery, and gently simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, then the spinach. Simmer the broth until the spinach has wilted, about 1 minute. Remove what remains of the cheese rind and taste the broth, If the broth has become too concentrated, add 1/2 cup of water at a time, tasting in between additions, to thin as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve with extra grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.
RECIPE NOTES
- When making the meatballs, use a delicate touch for tender results. Compacting, rolling and overworking the meat mixture will result in tough, hard meatballs.
- I typically cook pasta for soups separately, since cooking the pasta directly in the broth releases the starches and makes the soup cloudy.
- The flavours of this soup improve after the ingredients have had the chance to mix and mingle in the fridge, so this recipe is ideal for meal prep. Make it up to 4 days in advance, and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat the soup gently on the stove top. Note that the pasta may absorb some of the broth as it sits, so you may wish to add an additional cup or two of broth while reheating.
- The meatballs can be roasted a day ahead and kept in a covered container in the fridge until you are ready to add them to the soup.
- If you wish to freeze this soup to enjoy later, I’d recommend freezing it without the pasta as it tends to become overly soft during the freezing/defrosting process.
